Department of Epidemiology, University of California, Irvine.
Departments of Neurology and Neurobiology & Behavior, University of California, Irvine.
J Geriatr Phys Ther. 2022;46(3):E106-E112. doi: 10.1519/JPT.0000000000000340. Epub 2023 Jan 25.
Slow gait speed has been associated with adverse outcomes in older adults, but little data exist for those 90 years and older, a group often referred to as the "oldest old." We aimed to establish reference values for gait speed in men and women 90 years and older.
The 90+ Study is a population-based longitudinal study of aging. Our analyses of gait speed included participants who were evaluated in person and were ambulatory. Gait speed was assessed using the 4-m walk test. We calculated means, standard deviations, and percentiles stratified by age, sex, and use of assistive device.
The 797 participants had a mean age of 93.5 years. Of these, 73.9% were women, 39.5% had a college education, and 98.6% were White. The overall mean gait speed was 0.58 m/s (women = 0.55 m/s, men = 0.65 m/s). In participants who did not use an assistive device, the overall mean gait speed was 0.66 m/s (women = 0.63 m/s, men = 0.71 m/s). In those who used a device, the overall mean gait speed was 0.38 m/s (women = 0.37 m/s, men = 0.43 m/s). Gait speed decreased with increasing age. Men had consistently higher average gait speeds compared with women across age categories. Men and women who used assistive devices had lower average gait speeds across age categories compared with men and women who ambulated with no device. Average gait speeds in our oldest-old cohort were slower than those of older adults younger than 90 years in previous studies.
This study is the first to establish gait speed reference values specific to adults 90 years and older. Age-appropriate reference values are crucial to the accurate interpretation of clinical measures for patients in their 90s and above.
步态缓慢与老年人的不良预后相关，但针对 90 岁及以上人群（通常被称为“最年长的老年人”）的数据较少。我们旨在为 90 岁及以上男性和女性制定步态速度参考值。
90+研究是一项基于人群的老龄化纵向研究。我们对步态速度的分析包括进行了身体评估且能够行走的参与者。使用 4 米步行测试评估步态速度。我们按年龄、性别和使用辅助设备分层计算了平均值、标准差和百分位数。
797 名参与者的平均年龄为 93.5 岁。其中，73.9%为女性，39.5%受过大学教育，98.6%为白人。总体平均步态速度为 0.58 m/s（女性=0.55 m/s，男性=0.65 m/s）。在未使用辅助设备的参与者中，总体平均步态速度为 0.66 m/s（女性=0.63 m/s，男性=0.71 m/s）。在使用设备的参与者中，总体平均步态速度为 0.38 m/s（女性=0.37 m/s，男性=0.43 m/s）。步态速度随年龄增长而降低。男性在各年龄段的平均步态速度均高于女性。在各年龄段，使用辅助设备的男性和女性的平均步态速度均低于不使用设备的男性和女性。与之前研究中年龄小于 90 岁的老年人相比，我们最年长的队列的平均步态速度较慢。年龄适当的参考值对于准确解释 90 岁及以上患者的临床测量值至关重要。
