The Association of Clinic-Based Mobility Tasks and Measures of Community Performance and Risk.
Michele L Callisaya, Joe Verghese
PMID 29330073WHAT IT FOUND
Normal walking speed was the strongest predictor of community function and fall risk for most outcomes.
Stair climbing time specifically identified those with balance confidence issues and past falls. Complex dual-task tests best captured engagement in cognitive leisure activities.
Key findings
01Slower normal walking speed was the strongest predictor of community performance and risk for most outcomes, explaining the greatest proportion of variance in distance walked, life space, ADLs, fear of falling, and balance confidence.
02Time to ascend stairs was independently associated with lower balance confidence and falls in the past year, remaining significant in final models for these outcomes.
03Complex mobility tasks like walking while talking and the immediate Floor Maze test were the only measures independently associated with participation in cognitive leisure activities.
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
The study is cross-sectional, so it cannot prove that slow walking causes poor community performance or falls. Community outcomes were self-reported, which may be subject to recall or reporting bias. The majority of participants were independent in ADLs, which may have reduced the ability to detect relationships between complex mobility tests and daily function. The explained variance for some outcomes was small (e.g., 5% for cognitive leisure), meaning other factors not measured here are important.
Declared interests
There are no conflicts of interest declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume normal walking speed is sufficient for all assessments. It failed to predict falls in the past year and engagement in cognitive leisure activities. Relying solely on gait speed may miss patients who have balance confidence issues or cognitive-motor interference affecting their social participation.