Usual gait speed assessment in middle-aged and elderly Brazilian subjects

Abstract

Objectives: To evaluate the usual gait speed of asymptomatic adult and elderly Brazilians with a 10-meter walk test and to compare the results with foreign reference values. Methods: Seventy-nine asymptomatic volunteers ≥40 years old of both genders were assessed.After anamnesis, anthropometry and the application of a habitual physical activity questionnaire, the volunteers were submitted to a 10-meter walk test at usual speed by means of which gait speed, the number of steps and length of stride were calculated. Results:Except for age, all study variables were significantly lower in women. Subjects ≥70 years old presented a significantly lower gait speed than subjects between 40 and 49 years old and between 50 and 59 in both men (1.09±0.18 m/s, 1.35±0.11 m/s and 1.34±0.22 m/s, respectively) and women (1.02±0,10 m/s, 1.27±0.20 m/s and 1.27±0,15 m/s), respectively). Gait speed showed moderate correlations with age (r=-0.41, p<0.001) and height (r=0.35, p=0.001). After multiple regression analysis, age and gender were selected as relevant attributes of gait speed in that they explained 24.6% of this variable. The gait speed values in this study were significantly lower than foreign reference values (p<0.05). Conclusions: The gait speed presented age-related decline and values significantly lower than those described for foreign populations. This finding indicates the need for comprehensive investigation of gait speed reference values for the Brazilian population.Key words: gait kinematics; gait speed; 10-meter walk test. ResumoObjetivos: Avaliar a velocidade usual da marcha (VM) por meio de teste de caminhada de 10 m (TC10m) em adultos e idosos assintomáticos brasileiros e compará-la com os valores de referência estrangeiros. Palavras-chave: cinemática da marcha; velocidade da marcha; teste de caminhada de 10m.

Functional reserve in functionally independent elderly persons: a calculation of gait speed and physiological cost

“…8,[22][23][24][25] The values obtained in the present study are inconsistent with previous findings, which report both inferoir 8,22,23 and superior results. 24,25 This situation can be explained by the expression of confounding factors, which are based on the demographic and anthropometric aspects specific to each sample, which emerge from the use of diverse populations, such as Caucasian, 8 and Latin American. 25 Furthermore, indicating the importance of the measuring methodology, a high level of confidence has been demonstrated for the use of a straight unidirectional 10 meter track, 26 which is considered a sufficient distance for the expression of gait in normal execution conditions.…”

“…24,25 This situation can be explained by the expression of confounding factors, which are based on the demographic and anthropometric aspects specific to each sample, which emerge from the use of diverse populations, such as Caucasian, 8 and Latin American. 25 Furthermore, indicating the importance of the measuring methodology, a high level of confidence has been demonstrated for the use of a straight unidirectional 10 meter track, 26 which is considered a sufficient distance for the expression of gait in normal execution conditions. 27 In such context, the justification of the use of an elliptical track 70 meters in length in the present study was based on clinometric factors, as it reduces the neuromotor component in accelerations and decelerations, 28 in addition to ensuring sufficient time and distance to extrapolate advanced activities of daily living 10,29 such as transport to community centers and health.…”

Test timed up and go and its correlation with age and functional exercise capacity in asymptomatic women

“…We used the timed 10 meters walking test (5) Ninety-eight women from 40 to 84 years old were selected and divided into age groups, creating a nonpropabilistic sample of convenience. The strata were: 40-49 years (n = 24), 50-59 years (n = 25), 60-69 years (n = 26), and ≥ 70 years (n = 23).…”

Melhora do equilíbrio postural em mulheres idosas com o uso de informação sensorial adicional

“…In order to eliminate acceleration and deceleration, volunteers began to walk 1.2 min before the route start and finished 1.2 min after the 10-meter route in usual speed 18 . The test was performed three times to minimize learning effect, and the best performance was used for data analysis by calculating the mean speed for each participant.…”