Gait speed associated factors in elderly subjects undergoing exams to obtain the driver's license.
Maria Angélica Binotto, Maria Helena Lenardt, Nathalia Hammerschmidt Kolb Carneiro and 3 others
PMID 31038632WHAT IT FOUND
Among elderly people taking driver fitness tests in Brazil, slower walking speed was associated with frailty, higher BMI, lower cognition, lower grip strength, older age, female sex, and not working.
The study did not test driving safety.
Key findings
01Reduced gait speed as a frailty marker was found in 20.4% of the 421 elderly people undergoing driver fitness tests.
02Faster gait speed was associated with paid work, higher MMSE score, higher hand grip strength, and being pre-frail or non-frail rather than frail.
03Slower gait speed was associated with older age, female sex, and higher BMI.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The cross-sectional design cannot show whether the factors came before or after slower gait speed. Some frailty markers used self-reported questions, which can bias the results. The physical activity questionnaire included uncommon activities in the Brazilian context. The study did not test an intervention or measure driving performance. Participants were elderly people attending transit agencies in one Brazilian city, so results may not apply to other elderly groups.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration is included in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these associations as proof that changing BMI, work status, grip strength, cognition, or frailty will improve gait speed or driving safety. This was a cross-sectional study, so it cannot show cause and effect.