Instrumental and Non-Instrumental Evaluation of 4-Meter Walking Speed in Older Individuals

• Published in: PLoS ONE 2016, Vol.11 (4)
• Main Authors: Maggio, Marcello, Ceda, Gian Paolo, Ticinesi, Andrea, De Vita, Francesca, Gelmini, Giovanni, Costantino, Cosimo, Meschi, Tiziana, Kressig, Reto W, Cesari, Matteo, Fabi, Massimo, Lauretani, Fulvio
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Elderly; Gait; Physiological aspects; Walking
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153583

Manual measurement of 4-meter gait speed by a stopwatch is the gold standard test for functional assessment in older adults. However, the accuracy of this technique may be biased by several factors, including intra- and inter-operator variability. Instrumental techniques of measurement using accelerometers may have a higher accuracy. Studies addressing the concordance between these two techniques are missing. The aim of the present community-based observational study was to compare manual and instrumental measurements of 4-meter gait speed in older individuals and to assess their relationship with other indicators of physical performance. One-hundred seventy-two (69 men, 103 women) non-disabled community-dwellers aged [greater than or equal to]65 years were enrolled. They underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment including physical function by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), hand grip strength, and 6-minute walking test (6MWT). Timed usual walking speed on a 4-meter course was assessed by using both a stopwatch (4-meter manual measurement, 4-MM) and a tri-axial accelerometer (4-meter automatic measurement, 4-MA). Correlations between these performance measures were evaluated separately in men and women by partial correlation coefficients. In both genders, 4-MA was associated with 4-MM (men r = 0.62, p