Bård Bogen1, Rolf Moe-Nilssen2, Anette Hylen Ranhoff3, Mona Kristin Aaslund4. 1. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: beb@hvl.no. 2. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: rolf.moe-nilssen@uib.no. 3. Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Postbox 7804, 5020 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: Anette.Ranhoff@uib.no. 4. Department of Global Public Health and Primary Care, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018 Bergen, Norway. Electronic address: mona.aaslund@uib.no.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The step length-cadence ratio, also called the walk ratio (WR; cm/steps/min) is a measure of cautious gait, poor balance control or impaired gait, but has not been investigated for both genders in a general population of older adults across different speeds and conditions. METHOD: The participants were community-dwelling volunteers between 70 and 81 years. They walked 6.5 m under four different conditions: At preferred speed, fast speed, during a dual task condition and on an uneven surface. Step length (cm) and cadence (steps/minute) was captured using a body-worn sensor. Both cadence and step lengths were adjusted for body height. RESULTS: 70 older adults participated (mean age 75.5 (SD 3.4), 60 percent women). The WR was 0.60 cm/steps/min (SD 0.07) during preferred speed walking, 0.58 cm/steps/min (SD 0.07) during fast walking, 0.68 cm/steps/min (SD 0.18) during dual task-walking and 0.59 cm/steps/min (0.07) during uneven surface-walking. In planned pairwise comparisons, the WR during dual task was significantly different from preferred speed walking (mean difference -0.087 cm/steps/min, 95% CI -0.140, -0.033), from fast speed walking (mean difference -0.098 cm/steps/min, 95% CI -0.154, -0.041) and uneven surface walking (mean difference 0.092 cm/steps/min, 95% CI 0.040, 0.145). There were no gender differences except during the fast walking condition, where women had a significantly lower WR than the men (0.56 cm/steps/min vs 0.61 cm/steps/min, p = 0.002). DISCUSSION: We found that the WR is invariant during different speeds, and during an uneven surface condition, but is affected during a dual task-condition, when attention must be divided between a cognitive and a motor task.
BACKGROUND: The step length-cadence ratio, also called the walk ratio (WR; cm/steps/min) is a measure of cautious gait, poor balance control or impaired gait, but has not been investigated for both genders in a general population of older adults across different speeds and conditions. METHOD: The participants were community-dwelling volunteers between 70 and 81 years. They walked 6.5 m under four different conditions: At preferred speed, fast speed, during a dual task condition and on an uneven surface. Step length (cm) and cadence (steps/minute) was captured using a body-worn sensor. Both cadence and step lengths were adjusted for body height. RESULTS: 70 older adults participated (mean age 75.5 (SD 3.4), 60 percent women). The WR was 0.60 cm/steps/min (SD 0.07) during preferred speed walking, 0.58 cm/steps/min (SD 0.07) during fast walking, 0.68 cm/steps/min (SD 0.18) during dual task-walking and 0.59 cm/steps/min (0.07) during uneven surface-walking. In planned pairwise comparisons, the WR during dual task was significantly different from preferred speed walking (mean difference -0.087 cm/steps/min, 95% CI -0.140, -0.033), from fast speed walking (mean difference -0.098 cm/steps/min, 95% CI -0.154, -0.041) and uneven surface walking (mean difference 0.092 cm/steps/min, 95% CI 0.040, 0.145). There were no gender differences except during the fast walking condition, where women had a significantly lower WR than the men (0.56 cm/steps/min vs 0.61 cm/steps/min, p = 0.002). DISCUSSION: We found that the WR is invariant during different speeds, and during an uneven surface condition, but is affected during a dual task-condition, when attention must be divided between a cognitive and a motor task.
Authors: Joost Van Hoof; Jan K Kazak; Jolanta M Perek-Białas; Sebastiaan T M Peek Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2018-11-05 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Pedro Ángel Latorre-Román; Juan Antonio Párraga-Montilla; Alejandro Robles-Fuentes; Luis Enrique Roche-Seruendo; Manuel Lucena-Zurita; Marcos Muñoz-Jiménez; Daniel Manjón-Pozas; Jesús Salas-Sánchez; Filipe Almeida da Conceição; Pedro José Consuegra González Journal: Children (Basel) Date: 2022-07-30