Adaptations Seen in Age-related Changes in Gait of Community-dwelling Elderly: An 8-year Longitudinal Study

[Purpose] To examine the manner and timing of changes in gait variables attributable to aging. [Participants and Methods] We studied 53 people, 65 years or older, who participated in at least three of six measurement sessions conducted over eight years. The measurements were gait speed over 5 m at m...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inRigaku ryoho kagaku Vol. 35; no. 4; pp. 557 - 563
Main Authors TAKIZAWA, Megumi, IWAI, Koichi, ITO, Hajime
Format Journal Article
LanguageJapanese
Published Tokyo The Society of Physical Therapy Science 2020
Japan Science and Technology Agency
Subjects
Gait
gait variables
geriatric adaptation
Longitudinal studies
longitudinal study
Older people
Variables
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Summary:[Purpose] To examine the manner and timing of changes in gait variables attributable to aging. [Participants and Methods] We studied 53 people, 65 years or older, who participated in at least three of six measurement sessions conducted over eight years. The measurements were gait speed over 5 m at maximum and preferred velocities, as well as stride length and step width during gait over 10 m. [Results] Each gait variable changed with aging. Maximum and preferred gait speeds decreased, stride length shortened, and step width and the coefficient of variation of stride length increased. Stride length decreased at an earlier age than the slowing of preferred velocity. Increases in step width and the coefficient of variation of stride length happened later than changes in the other gait variables. [Conclusion] Geriatric changes in gait variables follow an interpretable sequence leading to inferences about how people adjust the way they walk as they become older.
ISSN:1341-1667
2434-2807
DOI:10.1589/rika.35.557