Department of Physical Education, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil,
Department of Physiotherapy, Setor de Ciências Biológicas, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Brazil.
Gerontology. 2021;67(5):532-543. doi: 10.1159/000513601. Epub 2021 Mar 5.
It is believed that functional capacity and fall history are factors capable of influencing the gait parameters of older adults. Thus, the objective of this study was to verify whether gait parameters of community-dwelling older adults differ according to their functional capacity and fall history when walking at self-selected walking speed (SSWS) and fast walking speed (FWS) using principal component analysis (PCA).
Two hundred ninety-five participants (82.3% women and 17.7% men) were allocated in four groups according to their fall history and functional capacity: non-fallers with higher functional capacity (NFHFC, n = 94; 69.3 ± 5.5 years), non-fallers with lower functional capacity (NFLFC, n = 114; 72.0 ± 8.1 years), fallers with higher functional capacity (FHFC, n = 29; 70.0 ± 6.0 years), and fallers with lower functional capacity (FLFC, n = 58; 72.5 ± 8.2 years). Fall history, anthropometric data, functional capacity by short physical performance battery and mobility by Timed Up and Go (TUG), and spatiotemporal gait parameters were evaluated.
Data analysis indicated that FLFC presented the lowest scores, especially in the Five Times Sit-to-Stand Test and TUG. The PCA showed that the first principal component (PC1) explained the most substantial amount of the data variability in both walking speeds (SSWS and FWS), predominantly including temporal parameters. PC2 composed by spatial outcomes (stride and step length and walking speed) showed the highest effect size. PC1 and PC2 were able to differentiate functional status, regardless of fall history.
Functional capacity showed great importance when analyzing gait parameters at different walking speeds (SSWS and FWS), regardless of fall history. Older adults with high functional capacity demonstrate better performance during gait. Besides, spatiotemporal parameters are the main factors explaining gait variability, both in SSWS and FWS.
据信，功能能力和跌倒史是能够影响老年人步态参数的因素。因此，本研究的目的是通过主成分分析（PCA）验证社区居住的老年人在以自我选择步行速度（SSWS）和快速步行速度（FWS）行走时，根据其功能能力和跌倒史，其步态参数是否存在差异。
根据跌倒史和功能能力，将 295 名参与者（82.3%女性和 17.7%男性）分为四组：功能能力较高的无跌倒者（NFHFC，n=94；69.3±5.5 岁）、功能能力较低的无跌倒者（NFLFC，n=114；72.0±8.1 岁）、功能能力较高的跌倒者（FHFC，n=29；70.0±6.0 岁）和功能能力较低的跌倒者（FLFC，n=58；72.5±8.2 岁）。评估了跌倒史、人体测量数据、短体物理性能电池的功能能力和 Timed Up and Go（TUG）的移动能力以及时空步态参数。
数据分析表明，FLFC 的得分最低，尤其是在五次坐立测试和 TUG 中。PCA 显示，第一主成分（PC1）在两种步行速度（SSWS 和 FWS）下均解释了数据变异性的最大量，主要包括时间参数。由空间结果（步幅和步长和步行速度）组成的 PC2 具有最高的效果量。PC1 和 PC2 能够区分功能状态，而与跌倒史无关。
无论跌倒史如何，功能能力在分析不同步行速度（SSWS 和 FWS）下的步态参数时都非常重要。功能能力较高的老年人在步态中表现出更好的表现。此外，时空参数是解释 SSWS 和 FWS 中步态变异性的主要因素。
