Alterations in gait speed and age do not fully explain the changes in gait mechanics associated with healthy older women

Alcock, L.; Vanicek, N.; O'Brien, T. D.

Abstract

Older adults exhibit modified gait patterns compared to the young, adopting movement strategies in response to changes in musculoskeletal function. Investigating the functional mobility of older women is particularly important because of their increased life expectancy and greater falls risk compared to men. We explored the relationships between gait parameters and age in healthy older women whilst accounting for declining gait speeds. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected from thirty-nine women (60-83 years) whilst walking at a comfortable cadence. Regression analysis assessed the capacity of gait speed and age to explain the variance in gait associated with older age. Speed explained the majority of variance in many gait parameters. By including age in the regression, the total explained variance (R2) for foot clearance (70%), ankle plantarflexion angle (30%), peak ankle plantarflexor moment (58%), and hip power generation (56%) were significantly (p

Citation

Alcock, L., Vanicek, N., & O'Brien, T. D. (2013). Alterations in gait speed and age do not fully explain the changes in gait mechanics associated with healthy older women. Gait and Posture, 37(4), 586-592. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.09.023

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 29, 2012
• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2012
• Publication Date: 2013-04
• Deposit Date: Jan 21, 2021
• Journal: Gait and Posture
• Print ISSN: 0966-6362
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 37
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 586-592
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2012.09.023
• Keywords: Healthy ageing; Gait mechanics; Speed
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3635298
• Publisher URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0966636212003694?via%3Dihub