Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 12 , Pages 2293-2296 , December 2008

The Reliability and Validity of Measures of Gait Variability in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Presented at the International Society for Posture and Gait Research, Burlington, VT, July 14–18, 2007.

  • Jennifer S. Brach, PhD, PT

      Affiliations

    • Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to Jennifer S. Brach, PhD, PT, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, 6035 Forbes Tower, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
    • ,
  • Subashan Perera, PhD

      Affiliations

    • Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • ,
  • Stephanie Studenski, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • ,
  • Anne B. Newman, MD, MPH

      Affiliations

    • Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
    • Department of Epidemiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA

References 

  1. Maki BE. Gait changes in older adults: predictors of falls or indicators of fear?. J Am Geriatr Soc. 1997;45:313–320
  2. Hausdorff JM, Rios DA, Edelberg HK. Gait variability and fall risk in community-living older adults: a 1-year prospective study. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;82:1050–1056
  3. Brach JS, Berlin JE, VanSwearingen JM, Newman AB, Studenski SA. Too much or too little step width variability is associated with a fall history in older persons who walk at or near normal gait speed. J Neuroeng Rehabil. 2005;2:21
  4. Brach JS, Studenski S, Perera S, VanSwearingen JM, Newman AB. Gait variability and the risk of incident mobility disability. J Gerontol Med Sci. 2007;62A:983–988
  5. Rothstein JM. Measurement and Clinical Practice: Theory and application. In:  Rothstein JM editors. Measurement in physical therapy. New York: Churchill Livingstone; 1985;p. 1–46
  6. Jette AM, Jette DU, Ng J, Plotkin DJ, Bach MA The Musculokeletal Impairment (MSI) Study Group. Are performance-based measures sufficiently reliable for use in multicenter trials?. J Gerontol. 1999;54A:M3
  7. Bohannon RW. Comfortable and maximum walking speed of adults aged 20-79 years: reference values and determinants. Age Aging. 1997;26:15–19
  8. Tager IB, Swanson A, Satariano WA. Reliability of physical performance and self-reported functional measures in an older population. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 1998;53A:M295–M300
  9. McDonough AL, Batavia M, Chen FC, Kwon S, Ziai J. The validity and reliability of the GAITRite system's measurements: A preliminary evaluation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2001;82:419–425
  10. van Uden CJ, Besser MP. Test-retest reliability of temporal and spatial gait characteristics measured with an instrumented walkway system (GAITRite). BMC Musculoskelet Disord. 2004;17:5–13
  11. Owings TM, Grabiner MD. Measuring step kinematic variability on an instrumented treadmill: how many steps are enough?. J Biomechanics. 2003;36:1215–1218
  12. Monaghan K, Delahunt E, Caulfield B. Increasing the number of gait trial recordings maximises intra-rater reliability of the CODA motion analysis system. Gait Posture. 2007;25:303–315
  13. Hausdorff JM, Nelson ME, Kaliton D. Etiology and modification of gait instability in older adults: a randomized controlled trial of exercise. J Appl Physiol. 2001;90:2117–2129
  14. Tell GS, Fried LP, Hermanson B, Manolio TA, Newman AB, Borhani NO. Recruitment of adults 65 years and older as participants in the cardiovascular health study. Ann Epidemiol. 1993;3:358–366
  15. Fried LP, Borhani NO, Enright PL. The cardiovascular health study:design and rationale. Ann Epidemiol. 1991;1:263–276
  16. Walsh JP. Foot fall measurement Technology. In:  Craik RL,  Oatis CA editor. GaitAnalysis: theory and application. St. Louis: Mosby-Year Book, Inc; 1995;p. 125–142
  17. Hausdorff JM, Edelberg HK, Mitchell SL, Goldberger AL, Wei JY. Increased gait unsteadiness in community-dwelling elderly fallers. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 1997;78:278–283
  18. Owings TM, Grabiner MD. Step width variability, but not step length variability or step time variability, discriminates gait of healthy young and older adults during treadmill locomotion. J Biomech. 2004;37:935–938
  19. Fitti JE, Kovar MG. National Health Interview Survey. Vital Health Stat. 1987;21:1–115Publication DHHS (PHS) 87-1323
  20. Rosner B. Fundamentals of Biostatistics. 4th ed.. Belmont: Duxbury Pr; 1995;
  21. Blanke DJ, Hageman P. Comparison of gait of young and elderly men. Phys Ther. 1989;69:144–148
  22. Hageman PA, Blanke DJ. Comparison of gait of young women and elderly women. Phys Ther. 1986;66:1382–1387
  23. Imms FJ, Edholm OG. Studies of gait and mobility in the elderly. Age Ageing. 1981;10:147–156
  24. Lerner-Frankiel MB, Vargas S, Brown M, Krusel L, Schoneberger W. Functional community ambulation: what are your criteria?. Clinical Management. 1986;6:12–15
  25. Gabell A, Nayak US. The effect of age and variability in gait. J Gerontol. 1984;39:662–666
  26. Donelan JM, Shipman DW, Kram R, Kuo AD. Mechanical and metabolic requirments for active lateral stabilization in human walking. J Biomech. 2004;37:827–835

 Supported by the National Institutes of Health Public Health Service (grant no. TG32 AG00181) and the National Institutes of Health contracts (grant no. N01-HC-75150, N01-HC-45133, N01-HC-85079 through 85085, and HL 87079 through 87086); and the University of Pittsburgh Older American's Independence Center (grant no. P30 AG024827); the National Institutes of Health Public Health Service (grant no. TG32 AG00181); a National Institutes on Aging and American Federation of Aging Research Paul Beeson Career Development Award (grant no. K23 AG026766). The sponsor had no direct role in the design, methods, subject recruitment, data collection, analysis, or preparation of the manuscript.

 No commercial party having a direct financial interest in the results of the research supporting this article has or will confer a benefit on the authors or on any organization with which the authors are associated.

 Reprints are not available from the author.

PII: S0003-9993(08)01481-0

doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2008.06.010

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Volume 89, Issue 12 , Pages 2293-2296 , December 2008

Article Tools