Average Walking Research Articles

Neighbourhood correlates of average population walking: using aggregated, anonymised mobile phone data to identify where people walk.

Understanding and monitoring socio-spatial patterns of population walking mobility can inform urban planning and geographically targeted health promotion strategies aimed at increasing population levels of physical activity. In this study we use aggregated, anonymous mobile phone mobility data to examine the association between neighbourhood physical and social characteristics and residents' weekly walking behaviour across 313 neighbourhoods in a large metropolitan region of Queensland, Australia. We find that residents in neighbourhoods that are highly fragmented by streets with speed limits above 50 kmph, residents in neighbourhoods with high retail density and those living is economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods walk fewer kilometres and minutes on average per week than their counterparts. These findings can inform urban planning policy on the minimum specifications required in newly developing neighbourhoods and provide targets for retro-fitting features into existing neighbourhoods.

The Effect Of 12,000 Steps Daily Walking On Cardiometabolic Biomarkers In Sedentary Adults With Obesity

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of 12,000 steps daily walking versus 12,000 steps daily walking with moderate intensity exercise for 12 weeks on cardiovascular and metabolic markers in sedentary adults with obesity. METHODS: Fifty-four adults with obesity (age 31.7 ± 7.2 years, body mass index [BMI] 29.0 ± 3.3 kg/m2, sedentary time 9.5 ± 2.4 hours) were recruited, and 51.2% of the participants were male. The participants were randomly assigned to the following groups: 1) control group (maintained their normal daily lifestyle); 2) walking group (12,000 steps/day × 5 days/week); and 3) exercise group (12,000 steps/day × 5 days/week, including 30 min of continuous moderate-intensity exercise × 3 days/week) for 12-weeks in free-living settings. Fitbit and activPAL were used to monitor changes in the participants’ behavior. Body composition, cardiorespiratory fitness, and cardiovascular and metabolic markers were examined at baseline and after the intervention. Lipids, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular cellular adhesion molecule-1, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), E-selectin, P-selectin, leptin, and adiponectin were measured using assay kits. The data were analyzed using a generalized estimated equation with Bonferroni post hoc comparison. RESULTS: The average daily walking steps significantly increased in both the walking and exercise groups within 12 weeks. Compared with pre-test levels, cardiorespiratory fitness had shown a remarkable increase following the 12-week walking or exercise intervention, while alterations in the body composition (body weight, BMI, and waist circumference) were observed only in the exercise group. Triglycerides and MCP-1 were significantly decreased in both intervention groups, whereas positive effects were found for total cholesterol, CRP, adiponectin, and P-selectin in the exercise group only. CONCLUSION: Although both walking and exercise groups showed improvement in certain cardiometabolic biomarkers, the latter might have more benefits. These findings provide important implications for public health efforts, particularly physical exercise that could help reduce the risk factors for cardiometabolic diseases, especially in sedentary adults with obesity.

Association of Self-reported Walking Pace With Type 2 Diabetes Incidence in the UK Biobank Prospective Cohort Study

ObjectiveTo investigate the association between self-reported walking pace and type 2 diabetes (T2D) incidence and whether it differed by physical activity levels and walking time. MethodsThere were 162,155 participants (mean age, 57.1 years; 54.9% women) from the UK Biobank prospective study, recruited between 2006 and 2010, included in the study. Walking pace was self-reported and classified as brisk, average, or slow. Total physical activity and walking time were self-reported using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Association between walking pace and T2D incidence and the potential moderating role of physical activity and walking time were investigated using Cox proportional hazards models. ResultsThe median follow-up was 7.4 (interquartile range, 6.7 to 8.2) years. There were 4442 participants in whom T2D developed during the follow-up period. In the fully adjusted model (sociodemographic factors, diet, body mass index, and physical activity), average walking pace (hazard ratio [HR], 1.28; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.44) and slow walking pace (HR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.62 to 2.24) were associated with a higher T2D risk compared with brisk walking among women. Among men, average walking pace (HR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.17 to 1.40) and slow walking pace (HR, 1.73; 95% CI, 1.50 to 1.99) were also associated with higher T2D risk. Compared with slow walkers, brisk walkers have the same diabetes incidence rate 18.6 and 16.0 years later, for women and men, respectively. ConclusionAverage and slow walking pace was associated with a higher risk of incident T2D in both men and women, independent of major confounding factors. The associations were consistent across different physical activity levels and walking time.

Walking Speed Assessed by 4-Meter Walk Test in the Community-Dwelling Oldest Old Population in Vietnam.

This study aims to provide data on usual walking speed in individuals aged 80 years or older and determine the association between walking speed and related factors in community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional study design was conducted to measure walking speed on community-dwelling elders aged 80 years or older in Soc Son district, Vietnam. Walking speed was assessed by a 4-Meter Walk Test with a usual-pace walking mode. Health-related characteristics of participants including risk of falls (The Timed Up and Go test, activities of daily living (ADL), instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), cognitive impairment (Mini-Cog test) and frailty syndrome (The Reported Edmonton Frail Scale (REFS)). Multiple logistic regression was used to analyze the association between a slow walking speed and selected factors. A total of 364 older people were recruited, and the majority were female (65.4%). The overall average walking speed was 0.83 ± 0.27 m/s. The proportion of participants with a slow walking speed (<0.8 m/s) was 40.4%. Multiple logistic regression analyses showed that age, female, high fall risk (assessed by TUG test), ADL/IADL dependence and frailty syndrome had a negative effect on slow walking speed in this population. The results could provide useful reference data for further investigations and measures in clinical practice.

Telerehabilitation: A Practical Remote Alternative for Coaching and Monitoring Physical Kinetic Therapy in Patients with Mild and Moderate Disabling Parkinson's Disease during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic imposed social/physical distancing, lockdown measures, and forced reorientation of the rehabilitation programs for people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Epidemiologic safety measures boosted remote exercise-based treatment. Objectives Remote delivery of rehabilitation care services is not typically used in our department. Therefore, this study aimed to assess and implement a telehealth physical rehabilitation program tailored for outpatients with idiopathic PD and slight or medium functional limitations. Methods A prospective study was performed on a group of outpatients with idiopathic PD, selected from the database of the neurorehabilitation clinic of the Emergency Teaching Hospital “Bagdasar-Arseni.” We studied 17 patients (5 women and 12 men), aged between 54-70 years (average 65.9 ± 4.87), with a disease history of 7.3 ± 3.6 (years), with mild or moderate disabling clinical forms, quantified by an average Hoehn and Yahr score of 2.3 ± 0.35 (limits 1.5-3). All patients underwent pharmacologic treatment with unchanged doses throughout the study. No patients had disabling osteoarticular problems (all could walk independently) and had no significant psycho-cognitive dysfunction. Patients were supervised and coached online in tandem by the therapist and physician. In addition, a family member assisted and supervised the patient's performance and coordinated the technical electronic procedures. Walking biodynamics was assessed by timing “6-meters walking” and “Get up and walk 3 meters” (TUG) tests. Each person attended ten sessions of motor telerehabilitation procedures (2 per week) lasting 50 minutes each during social distancing (October-December 2021). Results None of the patients was at increased risk of falling. They all improved their locomotor performance, reflected in a significant decrease in TUG duration (the initial average time improved from 13.50 seconds to 10.57). The telerehabilitation program also significantly improved the average walking speed (initially, 44.5 cm/sec and finally, it raised to 56.8 cm/sec). Discussion. The TUG and “6-meters walking” tests are helpful tools for a global biodynamic remote assessment of PD patients. Limitations of the study: a small group of selected patients, restrictive working conditions (due to epidemiological social/physical restrictions and no direct physiotherapist-patient contact), and need for supervision by an attendant to assist the subject and perform the audio-video transmission. Further studies are necessary to identify the optimal web-based model of care and boost the implementation of this modern neurorehabilitation concept. Conclusions Telemedicine turned the virtual space into a new reality and may compensate for the restrictions imposed on face-to-face meetings in pandemic conditions. Moreover, with modern telecommunication techniques, a regular and individualized physical kinetic rehabilitation program can be performed even in pandemic conditions. Remote delivery of kinetic motor programs was appropriate for selected groups of PD patients.

Analysis and Simulation of Wheel-Track High Clearance Chassis of Rape Windrower

The middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River are the main production area of rapeseed. Small windrowers with two tracks are adopted in this area, which have lower efficiency. With the advancement of large-scale rape planting, medium and large windrowers are urgently needed; however, most medium and large windrowers are wheeled machines which have poor adaptability to sticky soil in rice–rape rotation areas. Therefore, a wheel-track high clearance chassis for rape windrower was developed. Theoretical analysis and simulation of the main performance of this chassis were investigated. Mathematical models of the relationship between the chassis eccentricity and running resistance, uphill and downhill angle and the height of obstacle were established. Then, three-dimensional modeling and dynamic simulations of a wheel-track high clearance chassis of a rape windrower in wet clay soil were carried out based on Pro/E and RecurDyn software. The simulation results indicated that when the chassis ran on flat hard road at the same speed, eccentricity had little effect on average walking speed; the coefficient variation of speed decreased with the increase of eccentricity, while the driving torque and its coefficient variation decreased first and then increased. The minimum driving torque and the coefficient variations were obtained when the eccentricities were 1484 mm and 1584 mm. Field experiments were carried out on two kinds of ground. The results showed that on flat hard road, the speed of the wheel-track high clearance rape windrower was 0~20.22 km/h, the minimum turning radius was 5.965 m; on rice stubble field with 38.7% water content, the working speed was 0~9.12 km/h, the minimum turning radius was 6.498 m, and the climbing angle was over 20°. All parameters of the wheel-track high clearance chassis met the design specifications, and the working efficiency increased over 100% compared with the existing two-tracked rape windrower. A new kind of rape windrower for the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River was provided.

Viscoelastic glucose theory (VGT #27): Applying the Concept of Viscoelasticity Theory and using the Estimated Daily Glucose (eAG) over a 3.8-Year Period from 5/8/2018 to 2/17/2022 as the Strain to Study the Role and Influences of the Corresponding Stress as well as their Impact on the Predicted eAG Results Based on the GH-Method: Math-Physical Medicine (No. 608)

Recently, the author applied theories of elasticity, plasticity, viscoelasticity, and viscoplasticity from engineering and perturbation theory from quantum mechanics, along with the wave theory and energy theory from physics to conduct his biomedical research on certain output biomarkers, such as glucose (symptoms or behaviors) resulting from a selected input biomarker, such as the carbs/sugar amount, exercise level, or others (causes or stressors). In this article, he chose his synthesized estimated daily glucose (eAG) data and waveform over the past 3.8 years as the strain (ε or output, symptom). Since 5/8/2018, he has been utilizing a continuously monitoring glucose (CGM) sensor device to collect 96 glucose data each day at 15-minute time intervals. In order to investigate and learn the behaviors of the strain (ε) or eAG, and its stress (σ) or input/cause as defined to be the eAG change rate multiplied by a selected viscosity factor (η), he purposely select two values of η as 1 and 2. After conducting the stress-strain analysis based on 1 and 2 as his viscosity factors (η), he then uses another set of measured values: average daily carbs/sugar intake amount of 41.13 grams and average daily walking exercise of 16.02 k-steps, as the second set of viscosity factors (η). There are two main purposes of this research article. First, to check the stress-strain diagram’s sensitivity due to the selection of different viscosity factors. Second, to examine the correlation between predicted strain (eAG) waveform using the viscoelastic perturbation model and the measured CGM sensor eAG waveform due to the selection of different viscosity factors. The following two defined equations from viscoelasticity glucose theory (VGT) are utilized to study the stressstrain relationship for this case study. At first, he selects his eAG as the strain, which is his target research item: strain = ε = individual output biomarker value (eAG) at present time Furthermore, he wants to use the strain rate or his overall eAG change rate to be multiplied by a selected viscosity factor as the stress: Stress = σ = η * (dε/dt) = η * (d-strain/d-time)

Optimal allocation and adjustment mechanism of shared parking slots considering combined parking resources

ABSTRACT This paper establishes a rolling shared parking allocation model to optimize the matching of supply and demand in parking-dense districts by maximizing platform revenue and minimizing parking users’ travel costs. An adjustment mechanism that dynamically adjusts the allocated parking slots is developed to be embedded in the model. Considering multi-candidate adjacent parking lots, combined sharing and individual sharing patterns are compared to verify the benefits of resource combination. Numerical experiments indicate that the proposed model works well for changing parking demands and achieves more successful matches than the first-book-first-serve model. The combination of adjacent parking resources improves the platform revenue, the parking slot utilization, and the acceptance rate of parking requests, as well as reduces the average walking distance. The direct parking revenue of the parking lot with fewer slots is remarkably increased under combined sharing. The findings provide managerial insights for local collaborative shared parking.

Do players competing in the UEFA Champions League maintain running performance until the end of the match? Positional analysis between halves and 5-minute intervals.

This investigation aimed to analyze differences in running performances amongst playing positions between the first and second halves of soccer matches and at 5-minute intervals during matches. Data were collected from 179 soccer players during 20 UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2020/2021 group stage matches. Data were examined using the InStat Fitness semi-automatic video system. Eight variables were selected to quantify players' running performance (RP). Players were categorized based on positional groups: central defenders (CD), fullbacks (FB), central midfielders (CM), wide midfielders (WM), and forwards (FW). Univariate differences in RP were analyzed using ANOVA and the t-test for dependent samples and multivariate differences were identified using canonical discriminant analysis. The main findings were that all positions achieved significantly higher average speeds and walking distances in the first half of the match than in the second half. Furthermore, analysis of positions showed that CM covered more distance than CD in all 5-minute intervals. In addition, WM performed more high-intensity running than CD in all 5-minute intervals and FW performed more high-intensity running than all other playing positions. The findings from the present study should help coaches design training exercises that are specific to parts of a match. Moreover, the findings can help provide better understanding of match demands and individualization of training. Analysis of 5-minute intervals may also help coaches understand the stages of a match where player substitutions will be most effective.

Prominent Fatigue but No Motor Fatigability in Non-Hospitalized Patients With Post-COVID-Syndrome.

ObjectivesFatigue is a frequent and often disabling symptom in patients with post-COVID syndrome. To better understand and evaluate the symptom of motor fatigue in the context of the post-COVID syndrome, we conducted treadmill walking tests to detect the phenomenon of motor fatigability or to evaluate whether evidence of organic lesions of the motor system could be found, similar to patients with multiple sclerosis.MethodTwenty-nine non-hospitalized patients with post-COVID syndrome completed the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Function (FSMC) questionnaire to determine the trait component of subjective fatigue before they were tested on a treadmill walking at a moderate speed for up to 60 min or until exhaustion. During the walking test oxygen uptake, ventilation and acceleration data of both feet were collected. To determine motor performance fatigability, the Fatigue Index Kliniken Schmieder (FKS) was calculated using the attractor method.ResultsThe average walking duration was 42.7 ± 18.6 min with 15 subjects stopping the walking test prematurely. The FSMC score revealed a severe cognitive (37.6 ± 8.2) and motor (37.1 ± 7.8) fatigue averaged over all subjects but only two subjects showed an FKS above the normal range (>4), representing performance fatigability. There was no significant correlation between subjective fatigue (FSMC) and FKS as well as walking time. Absolute values of oxygen uptake and ventilation were in the normal range reported in literature (r = 0.9, p < 0.05), although eight subjects did not produce a steady-state behavior.ConclusionAlmost all patients with post-COVID syndrome and subjectively severe motor fatigue, did not show motor fatigability nor severe metabolic anomalies. This is argued against organic, permanent damage to the motor system, as is often seen in MS. Many of the patients were - to our and their own surprise - motorically more exertable than expected.

Optimization Method for Conventional Bus Stop Placement and the Bus Line Network Based on the Voronoi Diagram

With the rapid development of the economy, the existing conventional bus transit system finds it difficult to meet people’s increasing travel needs. In addition, with the emergence and rapid development of urban rail transit, it is also necessary to integrate the existing conventional bus transit system with the rail transit system to realize the optimization of the whole public transport system. This study introduces the concept of the Voronoi diagram and uses it to divide the service area of bus stops. Taking the average walking time of regional passengers to the station as the main index, the convenience of passengers in the service area was evaluated, and a set of candidate station sites is established. Against the background of urban rail transit, a complete optimization model for a conventional bus station layout and line network was proposed. Finally, taking Wuhan East Lake High-tech Development Zone as an example, two optimization schemes for the public transport system were obtained. Compared with the status quo, the optimized scheme had obvious improvement effects on the repetition coefficient of bus lines, per capita transfer time, bus line network coverage and station service rate. This has been recognized by the local authorities, which proves the practicality and scientificity of the optimization method of this study.

Parking Planning With Route Assignment for Planned Special Events

During a planned special event (PSE), vehicular and pedestrian movements are concentrated around the PSE venue for short periods, leading to potential conflicts and safety issues. Vehicles tend to park as close as possible to the venue for the convenience of attendees. Taking into account the characteristics of PSE traffic patterns, a strategic vehicle parking planning model is proposed to integrally optimize the assignment of parking lots and inbound/outbound routes around the venue. Two prioritized objectives were considered for traffic safety and for the convenience of attendees. The proposed model was first validated in a small-scale example, and then adopted in a real-world case that took place in Taiyuan, China. The resulting parking plan presented an efficient reduction in the conflict points between vehicular and pedestrian movements, leading to an acceptable average walking distance for attendees. To evaluate the impact of different management preferences on the parking plan, a series of weights for conflict points were set according to potential conflict locations, occurrence times, and types. The results demonstrated that the number of conflict points with higher weights could be effectively reduced by the parking plan.

Muscle strength and incidence of depression and anxiety: findings from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study.

BackgroundDepression and anxiety are the leading mental health problems worldwide; depression is ranked as the leading cause of global disability with anxiety disorders ranked sixth. Preventive strategies based on the identification of modifiable factors merit exploration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the associations of handgrip strength (HGS) with incident depression and anxiety and to explore how these associations differ by socio‐demographic, lifestyle, and health‐related factors.MethodsThe analytic sample comprised 162 167 participants (55% women), aged 38–70 years, from the UK Biobank prospective cohort study. HGS was assessed at baseline using dynamometry. Depression and anxiety were extracted from primary care and hospital admission records. Cox proportional models were applied, with a 2 year landmark analysis, to investigate the associations between HGS and incident depression and anxiety.ResultsOf the 162 167 participants included, 5462 (3.4%) developed depression and 6614 (4.1%) anxiety, over a median follow‐up period of 10.0 years (inter‐quartile range: 9.3–10.8) for depression and 9.9 (inter‐quartile range: 9.0–10.8) for anxiety. In the fully adjusted model, a 5 kg lower HGS was associated with a 7% (HR: 1.07 [95% CI: 1.05, 1.10]; P < 0.001) and 8% (HR: 1.08 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.10]; P < 0.001) higher risk of depression and anxiety, respectively. Compared with participants in the sex and age‐specific highest tertiles of HGS, those in the medium and lowest tertiles had an 11% (HR: 1.11 [95% CI: 1.04, 1.19]; P = 0.002) and 24% (HR: 1.24 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.33]; P < 0.001) higher risk of depression and 13% (HR: 1.13 [95% CI: 1.06, 1.20]; P < 0.001) and 27% (HR: 1.27 [95% CI: 1.19, 1.35]; P < 0.001) higher risk of anxiety, respectively. The association of HGS with depression was stronger among participants with average or brisk walking pace (vs. slow walking pace; P interaction < 0.001). The association with anxiety was stronger in those participants aged ≥58 years (vs. ≤58 years; P interaction = 0.002) and those living in more affluent areas (vs. deprived; P interaction = 0.001).ConclusionsHandgrip strength was inversely associated with incident depression and anxiety. Because HGS is a simple, non‐invasive, and inexpensive measure, it could be easily used in clinical practice to stratify patients and identify those at elevated risk of mental health problems. However, future research should assess if resistance training aimed at increasing HGS can prevent the occurrence of mental health conditions.

The Land Use and Individual Correlates of Pedestrian Commuting: Who Walks to Their Work or Place of Study in the Large Cities of the MENA Region?

The body of research on the determinants of pedestrian commuting and the characteristics of on-foot commuters at the international level and especially in the Global South is inconsistent; hence, this study focuses on this topic with the case of megacities in the Middle East and North Africa. The study is based on 8284 face-to-face interviews with respondents in the three cities, 4543 of whom worked, and of those 4543, 658 individuals walked to their work or place of study. By using binary logistic regression, the determinants of walking to work were identified. Age, household car ownership, last relocation time, intersection density, number of accessed facilities from home, average walking accessibility to neighborhood amenities, and commuting distance are the significant determinants of on-foot commuting. The study identifies younger commuters with fewer cars or no driving license living in neighborhoods with connected street networks as the walkers. The results of the Mann–Whitney U Test show that there is a significant difference between the values of these determinants for walking commuters and those who commute by other modes. Based on these findings, this paper encourages urban planners and decision-makers of the MENA region to use urban land use, including street networks and access to local facilities, to motivate commuters to commute on foot, especially those who work within a walkable distance to their work or place of study.

To What Extent May Transit Stop Spacing Be Increased before Driving Away Riders? Referring to Evidence of the 2017 NHTS in the United States

With the emergence of ride-sourcing and ride-splitting services, more options are available to support shifts away from transit, where maintaining transit ridership increases requirements for transit service quality, so as to promote high-capacity and sustainable transport systems. In this endeavor, proper transit stop spacing is critical for both service accessibility and in-vehicle trip efficiency, as well as operation cost. This research explores acceptable stop spacing for three kinds of transit services from the perspective of travel behavior, drawing on the 2017 National Household Travel Survey in the United States. A stochastic frontier model is developed to infer passengers’ unobservable vertex of acceptable transit access times on the basis of observed walk time, which can be converted to the tolerance with respect to stop spacing with the average walking speed. Significant explanatory variables on the vertex of acceptable transit stop spacing are further identified with their quantified impacts, including household density, household income, wait time, trip distance, transfer, and maintenance purpose, while the inefficiency variance is significantly related to traveler age, wait time, secondary walk time, and trip frequency. Recommended response strategies follow. Findings from this study provide insights, guidelines, and implementation plans for different transit agencies when considering stop spacing redesign, to strengthen transit service appeal and to promote cooperative and sustainable multi-modal urban transport systems.

Dynamic Guidance Strategy for Pedestrian Travel in Large-Scale Activity under Harsh Environment

Large-scale activities such as the Winter Olympics are usually held in areas with low temperature or other harsh environments, which greatly affects the spectating experience of pedestrians. In order to improve the travel efficiency and reduce the safety risk of pedestrians, an adaptive information-distribution strategy of VMS (variable message sign) for road networks is proposed to guide the pedestrians. In the proposed strategy, the dynamic feedback mechanism between the VMS information distribution and the state of crowded pedestrians is established, and the dynamic optimization model of the VMS information release layout is formulated. To evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy, a multiagent-based simulation method is proposed. Through numerical simulation, it is found that the guidance strategy can improve the movement efficiency by adjusting releasing duration of VMS information or improving the information obedience rate of pedestrians. In this paper, a large-scale competition area in the Xiaohaituo Mountain in Beijing was taken as an example to simulate the scenarios of ingress and egress with and without the strategy. The results show that the average walking time and the road congestion can be significantly reduced in the road network with the strategy, and the proportion of pedestrians with shorter travel time can be increased. Therefore, the research can provide theoretical foundation and data support for managers to guide passenger flows and improve the spectating experience.

Self-Selected Walking Cadence after 16-Week Light-Intensity Physical Activity Intervention for Older Cancer Survivors.

In this secondary analysis of a light-intensity physical activity intervention, we hypothesized that older cancer survivors would self-select a faster walking cadence to meet their daily step goals. Average steps/day and free-living walking cadence were measured in 41 participants (age 69 ± 3.1 years) with an ActivPAL monitor worn 7 days pre- and post-intervention. Besides peak and average walking cadence, stepping patterns associated with ambulatory intensity were sorted in cadence bands of 20 steps/min from 40–59 (incidental movement) to ≥120 steps/min (fast locomotor movement). Compared to the waitlist Control group (n = 17), the Intervention group (n = 24) increased their peak 30-min cadence (4.3 vs. 1.9 steps/minute; p = 0.03), average 10-min cadence (4.1 vs. −6.6 steps/minute; p = 0.04), and average 30-min cadence (5.7 vs. −0.8 steps/minute, p = 0.03). Steps taken in cadence bands denoting moderate-intensity physical activity (100–119 steps/min) increased by 478 (interquartile range (IQR): −121 to 1844) compared to decreasing by 92 (IQR: −510 to 181) steps/day for the intervention and Control groups, respectively (p < 0.01). Evaluation of free-living walking cadence and patterns of ambulatory behavior can inform future interventions targeting behavior change, especially in those populations most at risk for reduced physical activity and vulnerable to mobility deficits and loss of independence.

Can kinematic variables deduce functional scales among chronic stroke survivors? A proof of concept for inertial sensors

PurposeThis study aims to leverage inertial sensors via a walk test to associate kinematic variables with functional assessment results among walkable subjects with chronic stroke.Design/methodology/approachAdults with first-ever stroke survivors were recruited for this study. First, functional assessments were obtained by using Fugl–Meyer Assessment for lower extremity and Berg balance scales. A self-assembled inertial measurement system obtained walking variables from a walk test after being deployed on subjects’ affected limbs and lower back. The average walking speeds, average range of motion in the affected limbs and a new gait symmetry index were computed and correlated with the two functional assessment scales using Spearman’s rank correlation test.FindingsThe average walking speeds were moderately correlated with both Fugl–Meyer assessment scales (γ = 0.62, p < 0.01, n = 23) and Berg balance scales (γ = 0.68, p < 0.01, n = 23). After being modified by the subjects’ height, the new gait symmetry index revealed moderate negative correlations with the Fugl–Meyer assessment scales (γ = −0.51, p < 0.05) and Berg balance scales (γ = −0.52, p < 0.05). The other kinematics failed to correlate well with the functional scales.Practical implicationsNeuromotor and functional assessment results from inertial sensors can facilitate their application in telemonitoring and telerehabilitation.Originality/valueThe average walking speeds and modified gait symmetry index are valuable parameters for inertial sensors in clinical research to deduce neuromotor and functional assessment results. In addition, the lower back is the optimal location for the inertial sensors.

Extraction and Application of Inertial Sensors-Based Kinematic Parameters in a Clinical Walk Test among Stroke Survivors

A new framework for adopting inertial sensors in a clinical test was proposed and tested in this study. A self-assembled-and-coded, inertial sensor-based wearable system was validated by comparing it with a commercialized optical tracking apparatus. Twenty-five post-stroke patients were enrolled in a clinical walk test while wearing this validated system to simultaneously assess the affected lower extremities’ functional walk competency through extracted kinematic parameters. Their average walking speeds were correlated with various gait parameters, such as the ranges of motion of the individual joints along the sagittal plane and the low back motion. The validation results proved this developed system is precise and accurate. The average walking speeds showed a modest correlation with the range of motion of the hip (r = 0.33) and a moderate and negative correlation with the motion along the coronal plane of the low back (r = -0.55). Thus, this framework supports a new method to adopt wearable devices for clinical application. It also broadens the application of the clinical walk test as an integral assessment tool for assessing functional walking competency and gait parameters, which is feasible for rehabilitation canters to monitor post-stroke patients.

Walk Score Assessment Using Urban Modeling Interface in Mahachai City, Thailand

The objectives of this study were to exhibit walk scores in the Mahachai sub-district, Mueng District, Samut Sakhon Province, Thailand, and build and construct acceptable models for diverse problem circumstances. The 3D physical model and walk score simulations were examined utilizing an urban modeling interface (UMI) plug-in, a part of a comprehensive modeling method in Rhinoceros computer-aided design software. The algorithm evaluates the proximity of points of interest to amenities of grocery stores, restaurants, shopping malls, coffee shops, banks, schools, bookstores, and entertainment. The simulation results show that the average walk score of the existing urban context is 87 points, according to the walkable city. However, the trial of new amenities added to the urban context by the same amenity type can change the score to 88 points, which would not significantly improve the score. The score increased to 93 points when adding the different amenities to the area. These reflect the need for urban amenities variety can improve the walkable quality in the city. The research proves the ease of using the UMI plug-in associated with the Rhinoceros software. Moreover, the results are necessary to guide urban designers to create walkable cities in the future.