Original articleThe Reliability and Validity of Measures of Gait Variability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults
Section snippets
Study Sample
Gait characteristics were assessed in ambulatory older adults from the Pittsburgh site of the CHS at the tenth follow-up visit (between 1998 through 1999). CHS is a population-based, ongoing longitudinal multicenter study of coronary heart disease and stroke risk in community-dwelling older adults age 65 years and older.14, 15 At the initiation of the CHS in 1989 through 1990, individuals were identified from the Health Care Financing Administration sampling frame. Individuals who were 65 years
Results
Table 1 provides the participant characteristics. The mean age of the sample was 79.4 years. Approximately 18% of the sample reported having fallen in the previous year and only a small percentage of the participants (<10%) used a cane for ambulation. On average the participants demonstrated a mean gait speed that was slightly less than the desired gait speed of 1.2m.21, 22, 23, 24
The gait variability measures from the two 4-meter walks demonstrated greater test-retest reliability than those
Discussion
Gait variability calculated from a limited number of steps measured using a computerized walkway has poor to good test-retest reliability. Step length and stance time variability seem to be more consistent measures than step width variability. This is consistent with a model proposed by Gabell and Nayak.25 They hypothesize that the variability in step width, an indicator of balance control, is a reflection of the adaptive power of the balance system, necessary for maintaining balance. This
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Supported by the National Institutes of Health Public Health Service (grant no. TG32 AG00181) and the National Institutes of Health contracts (grant no. N01-HC-75150, N01-HC-45133, N01-HC-85079 through 85085, and HL 87079 through 87086); and the University of Pittsburgh Older American's Independence Center (grant no. P30 AG024827); the National Institutes of Health Public Health Service (grant no. TG32 AG00181); a National Institutes on Aging and American Federation of Aging Research Paul Beeson Career Development Award (grant no. K23 AG026766). The sponsor had no direct role in the design, methods, subject recruitment, data collection, analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.
No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.
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