Risk factors for decline in gait speed during walking while talking in older adults.
Oshadi Jayakody, Helena M Blumen, Emmeline Ayers and 1 others
PMID 35594829WHAT IT FOUND
Walking speed while talking declined faster in older adults who were older, had poorer balance, or had faster single-task walking speeds.
Poor balance was the strongest modifiable risk factor for this accelerated decline.
Key findings
01Older age at baseline predicted a faster decline in walking speed while talking.
02Poorer balance, defined as unipedal stance time of 10 seconds or less, was associated with a faster decline in walking speed while talking.
03Participants with faster baseline single-task walking speed showed a faster rate of decline in walking speed while talking.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
Participants who could not walk without assistive devices were excluded, so findings may not apply to those with severe mobility impairments. The study identified temporal associations, not causal relationships, between risk factors and decline in walking speed. Some covariates, such as medical history and falls, were self-reported and may be subject to recall bias. The standardized dual-task protocol may not fully reflect the complexity of everyday walking while talking.
Declared interests
The study was supported by the National Institute on Aging (N.I.H., Extramural). No other conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret faster single-task walking speed as a negative prognostic indicator. The study authors suggest this group may have had a larger range of speed to lose, rather than it being a direct risk factor for decline.