Is the 10 metre walk test on sloped surfaces associated with age and physical activity in healthy adults?

Daniel Thomson,Matthew Liston,Amitabh Gupta

doi:10.1186/s11556-019-0219-0

Daniel Thomson, Matthew Liston + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s11556-019-0219-0

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Abstract

BackgroundPreferred walking speed is considered an important indicator of health in older adults and is measured on level ground. However, this may not represent the complex demands of community ambulation such as walking on sloped surfaces. Performing a 10 m walk test on a sloped surface is a novel test, and may be a more sensitive measure of walking capacity which may better discriminate age or health-related changes in gait speed compared to a traditional level 10 m walk test. The purpose of this investigation was to determine healthy adults’ performance in the 10 m walk test across various inclines and speeds, and which version of the 10 m walk test would be best at discriminating age-related changes in walking speed. Further, this study aimed to determine whether measures of general health and physical activity are associated with the performance of each test.MethodsHealthy Adults (n = 181) aged 20–80 years completed the 10 m walk test on level, downhill and uphill surfaces (8° inclination) at fastest and preferred speeds. Descriptive statistics were calculated for walking speed for males and females across each decade of life. Repeated measures ANOVA was performed to discriminate age-related changes in gait speed by decade, for the 10 m walk test at each speed and slope. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between waist to height ratio, resting heart rate, age and self-reported physical activity upon preferred and fastest walking speeds at each incline (level/downhill/uphill).ResultsThe 10 m walk test best discriminated age-related changes in gait speed when performed at fastest speeds on each slope, or at a preferred speed on an uphill slope. Waist to height ratio, age and the physical activity index were all significantly associated with fastest walking speeds over each incline and preferred uphill speed. Only waist to height ratio was associated with preferred walking speed on level and downhill surfaces.ConclusionsThe 10 m walk test has the greatest ability to discriminate age- and health-related changes in gait speed when it is performed at a fastest speed on any slope, or uphill at a preferred speed. The normative data reported in this study may be used to compare the performance of the 10 m walk test to that of healthy adults at preferred and fastest speeds on sloped surfaces.

Highlights

Walking speed, often referred to as the ‘sixth vital sign’ is associated with an individual’s health [1] and the ease with which they can navigate the environment [2]
These age-related changes in walking speed may be mediated by the amount of physical activity an individual performs, as less physically active older adults have been shown to walk slower than their age-matched counterparts [7]
The main findings of this study were that the 10 m walk test (10MWT) performed at fastest speeds on downhill, uphill and level slopes, and at preferred speeds on an uphill slope were best able to discriminate age-related changes in walking speed, and that walking speed was most influenced by waist to height ratio, age and self-reported physical activity when walking was measured at a participants’ fastest speed on sloped surfaces

Summary

Introduction

Often referred to as the ‘sixth vital sign’ is associated with an individual’s health [1] and the ease with which they can navigate the environment [2]. Older adults who spend more time outside of their home are more physically active, walk for longer than those who spend more time indoors [8], and have significantly reduced risk of mortality if they walk for more than 1 hour daily [10] Walking tests such as the 10MWT which are currently utilised in clinical practice do not reflect the demands of community ambulation. Performing a 10 m walk test on a sloped surface is a novel test, and may be a more sensitive measure of walking capacity which may better discriminate age or health-related changes in gait speed compared to a traditional level 10 m walk test. This study aimed to determine whether measures of general health and physical activity are associated with the performance of each test

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