The Association Between Excessive Daytime Sleepiness and Gait Parameters in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Findings From the Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly.

Abstract

This study examined the association between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and gait characteristics (e.g., speed, variability) in community-dwelling older adults. This cross-sectional study included 3,901 individuals aged ≥65 years. Participants answered questions about EDS, sleep duration, and other sleep-related symptoms. Gait speed, stride length, and the variability in stride length were assessed by using a stopwatch and a WalkWay device. EDS was significantly associated with slower gait speed among younger subjects (<75 years, p = .021) and with both slower gait speed ( p = .045) and greater variability in stride length among older subjects (≥75 years, p = .048) in a multivariate analysis adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, medication, number of comorbidities, and education. EDS associates with gait ability, particularly in older old adults. Further prospective studies are needed to determine the causal association between gait ability and sleep disturbances, including EDS.