Reference values of gait parameters measured with a plantar pressure platform in community-dwelling older Japanese adults

Abstract

Background

Gait measures such as gait speed, stride length, step width, and stance duration change with advanced age and are associated with adverse health outcomes among older adults. The stride-to-stride variabilities of gait measures are also related to falls and cognitive decline in older adults; however, reference values of these gait parameters in older Japanese adults do not exist. This study aimed to determine the reference values of gait parameters as measured by a plantar pressure platform in community-dwelling older Japanese adults.

Methods

Community-dwelling adults (N=1,212) who were independent in basic activities of daily living and aged 70–96 years (491 men, 721 women) completed the gait performance measurement in a geriatric health assessment. We assessed 10 gait performance measures with a plantar pressure platform system (P-WALK, BTS Bioengineering) and calculated means and coefficient of variations (CVs) of the gait measures as well as quintiles for those gait parameters per age group among men and women.

Results

Mean (SDs) of gait speed, stride length, step width, and stance durations were 1.26 (0.24) meters per second (m/s), 121.9 (19.8) cm, 24.0 (3.2) cm, and 552.4 (60.4) milliseconds (ms), respectively, in men, and 1.27 (0.21) m/s, 115.7 (16.3) cm, 17.9 (2.8) cm, and 517.6 (59.8) ms, respectively, in women. Mean of CVs (SD) of stride length, step width, and single-stance duration were 2.76 (1.35), 12.06 (3.98), and 5.74 (2.66), respectively, in men and 2.69 (1.24), 15.65 (4.53), and 5.77 (2.40), respectively, in women. Gait parameters (except CVs of step width) declined significantly with age regardless of gender (P< 0.01 for trends).

Conclusion

This study determined age group dependent gait parameter reference values, presented as means with quintile ranges, in community-dwelling older Japanese adults. These reference values may be useful metrics for gait assessment in the elderly.

Keywords:

• gait parameter
• variation coefficient
• community-dwelling
• older adult
• reference value

Acknowledgments

We are grateful to the local authorities of the Itabashi Ward and the individuals who participated in this study. This study was supported by grants from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government; Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology; the Research Committee of Comprehensive Research on Aging and Health; the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan (grant number: H27-Choju-Ippan-005); Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED [grant number: JP16dk0110018]); and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI (grant numbers: 16K11908, JP17K13239).

Disclosure

The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.