Abstract
It is common that individuals after stroke show changes in the gait pattern, imbalance and more susceptibility to falls. This study aimed to assess the relationship between gait speed and self-efficacy for falls in hemiparetic subjects. The sample was composed of 23 individuals with hemiparesis due to stroke with a mean age of 60.6±11.26 years and 53.2±35.4 months of stroke evolution time. Participants were assessed for falls self-efficacy by the questionnaire Falls Efficacy Scale- International (FES-I). The normal and fast gait speed was calculated using the time spent to walk 10 meters. To verify the relationship between the FES-I and the gait speed were applied association and correlation tests. Among the participants, 39.1% used walking device and 30.4% reported falls in the previous year. The FES-I average was 30.3±8.4 points, the normal gait speed was 0.72±0.28m/s and fast gait speed was 1.00±0.40m/s. Participants were able to significantly modify the gait velocity (speed difference: 0.27±0.16m/s; paired t test: p<0.001). There was no correlation or association between the FES-I and the gait speed. A correlation was found between the FES-I and age (r=0.541; p=0.008); and association between use of walking device, both normal (p=0.048) and fast (p=0.037) gait speed. Although most individuals with hemiparesis from this study presented low self-efficacy for falls, yet they are able to modify the gait speed.
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