Spatiotemporal and variability gait data in community-dwelling elderly women from Brazil

Abstract

Background: Gait is an extremely complex motor task; therefore, gait data should encompass as many gait parameters as possible.

Objective: To provide reference values for gait measurements obtained from a Brazilian group of community-dwelling elderly females between the ages of 65 and 89 years and to apply the PCA-biplot to yield insight into different walking strategies that might occur during the aging process.

Method: 305 elderly community-dwelling females living in Brazil were stratified into four age groups: 65-69 years (N=103); 70-74 years (N=95); 75-79 years (N=77); and ≥80 years (N=30). Age, height, and BMI were assessed to describe the characteristics of the groups. Gait spatiotemporal and variability data were obtained using the GAITRite® system. Principal component analysis, followed by MANOVA and the PCA-biplot approach were used to analyze the data.

Results: 95% CI showed that only three components - rhythm, variability, and support - together explained 74.2% of the total variance in gait that were different among the groups. The older groups (75-79 and ≥80 years) walked with lower than average velocity, cadence, and step length and were above average for the variables stance, step, swing, and double support time and the ≥80 year old group presented the highest gait variability compared to the other groups.

Conclusion: Aging is associated with decreased gait velocity and cadence and increased stance, step time, and variability, but not associated with changes in base of support. In addition, the PCA-biplot indicates a decline towards decreased rhythm and increased variability with aging.

Figure 1. Comparison between groups (N=305) of the variables with greater contribution to the significant principal components. *: significant difference between groups.

Figure 2. PCA-biplot and the average score of the groups (N=305). PC1=principal component 1; PC2=principal component 2; VEL=velocity; STT=step time; SWT=swing time; STL=step length; STANT=stance time; DSUPT=double support time; CAD=cadence; BSUP=base of support; %CV= coefficient of variation.