Age-Related Imbalance Is Associated With Slower Walking Speed: An Analysis From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Yanjun J Xie, Elizabeth Y Liu, Eric R Anson and 1 others
PMID 27341325WHAT IT FOUND
In 2,116 adults aged 50-85, failing a balance test with eyes closed on foam was associated with 0.10 m/s slower walking before accounting for other factors and 0.06 m/s slower after accounting for them.
This does not prove imbalance caused slower walking.
Key findings
01Inability to perform the eyes-closed foam balance task was associated with 0.10 m/s slower walking speed.
02After adjustment for demographic and health factors, the association was 0.06 m/s slower walking speed.
03The walking speed difference linked to imbalance was estimated to be equivalent to about 12 years of age.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it cannot show that imbalance caused slower walking. It included only people who could stand and walk for testing, so it does not address those who cannot. Balance was assessed mainly through standing conditions, including eyes closed on foam, not dynamic balance during walking. Vision, proprioception, muscle strength, and depression were not measured well enough or were unavailable, so other explanations could not be ruled out. Many participants had missing smoking or vision data, so those variables were incomplete. Only walking speed was examined, not other gait features such as variability, sway, or energy expenditure.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as proof that balance loss causes slow walking or that balance training will improve speed. It is an association in older adults who could stand and walk for testing.