Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2009 Oct;64(10):1082-9.
doi: 10.1093/gerona/glp078. Epub 2009 Jun 17.

Social inequality in walking speed in early old age in the Whitehall II study

Eric Brunner  1 , Martin Shipley, Victoria Spencer, Mika Kivimaki, Tarani Chandola, David Gimeno, Archana Singh-Manoux, Jack Guralnik, Michael Marmot
Affiliations
Free PMC article

Social inequality in walking speed in early old age in the Whitehall II study

Eric Brunner et al. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2009 Oct.
Free PMC article

Abstract

Background: We investigated social inequalities in walking speed in early old age.

Methods: Walking speed was measured by timed 8-ft (2.44 m) test in 6,345 individuals, with mean age of 61.1 (SD 6.0) years. Current or last known civil service employment grade defined socioeconomic position.

Results: Mean walking speed was 1.36 (SD 0.29) m/s in men and 1.21 (SD 0.30) in women. Average age- and ethnicity-adjusted walking speed was approximately 13% higher in the highest employment grade compared with the lowest. Based on the relative index of inequality (RII), the difference in walking speed across the social hierarchy was 0.15 m/s (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.12-0.18) in men and 0.17 m/s (0.12-0.22) in women, corresponding to an age-related difference of 18.7 (13.6-23.8) years in men and 14.9 (9.9-19.9) years in women. The RII for slow walking speed (logistic model for lowest sex-specific quartile vs others) adjusted for age, sex, and ethnicity was 3.40 (2.64-4.36). Explanatory factors for the social gradient in walking speed included Short-Form 36 physical functioning, labor market status, financial insecurity, height, and body mass index. Demographic, psychosocial, behavioral, biologic, and health factors in combination accounted for 40% of social inequality in walking speed.

Conclusion: Social inequality in walking speed is substantial in early old age and reflects many factors beyond the direct effects of physical health.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1A Mean Walking Speed With 95% Confidence Interval by Age and Sex. Adjusted for Employment Grade and Ethnicity. Interaction between sex and age (p=0.03) Regression model controls for test location (clinic or home). Figure 1B Mean Walking Speed With 95% Confidence Interval by Employment Grade and Sex. Adjusted for Age and Ethnicity. No interaction between sex and grade (p=0.76). The sample size in each group, highest to lowest grade, was for men: 1377, 1079, 801, 675, 374, 183; and for women: 235, 188, 174, 301, 435, 523 Walking speed adjusted to age 61. Model controls for test location (clinic or home). Admin 1, high-ranking administrative personnel; Admin 2, adminstrative personnel; SEO, senior executive officer; HEO, higher executive officer; EO, executive officer
Figure 1
Figure 1
Figure 1A Mean Walking Speed With 95% Confidence Interval by Age and Sex. Adjusted for Employment Grade and Ethnicity. Interaction between sex and age (p=0.03) Regression model controls for test location (clinic or home). Figure 1B Mean Walking Speed With 95% Confidence Interval by Employment Grade and Sex. Adjusted for Age and Ethnicity. No interaction between sex and grade (p=0.76). The sample size in each group, highest to lowest grade, was for men: 1377, 1079, 801, 675, 374, 183; and for women: 235, 188, 174, 301, 435, 523 Walking speed adjusted to age 61. Model controls for test location (clinic or home). Admin 1, high-ranking administrative personnel; Admin 2, adminstrative personnel; SEO, senior executive officer; HEO, higher executive officer; EO, executive officer
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Office for National Statistics. National Statistics website. 2007. Trends in Life Expectancy by social class 1972–2005.
    1. Schoeni RF, Martin LG, Andreski PM, Freedman VA. Persistent and growing socioeconomic disparities in disability among the elderly: 1982–2002. Am J Public Health. 2005;95(11):2065–2070. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Huisman M, Kunst AE, Mackenbach JP. Socioeconomic inequalities in morbidity among the elderly; a European overview. soc sci med. 2003;57(5):861–873. - PubMed
    1. Ferrucci L, Giallauria F, Guralnik JM. Epidemiology of aging. Radiol Clin North Am. 2008;46(4):643–52. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Minkler M, Fuller-Thomson E, Guralnik JM. Gradient of disability across the socioeconomic spectrum in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2006;355(7):695–703. - PubMed