The relationship between lower body strength and obstructed gait in community-dwelling older adults.

Lamoureux, EL; Sparrow, WA; Murphy, A; Newton, RU

The relationship between lower body strength and obstructed gait in community-dwelling older adults.

Lamoureux, EL Sparrow, WA Murphy, A Newton, RU

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: J Am Geriatr Soc, 2002, 50 (3), pp. 468 - 473
Issue Date:: 2002-03

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Lamoureux, EL	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Sparrow, WA	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Murphy, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Newton, RU	en_US
dc.date.issued	2002-03	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	J Am Geriatr Soc, 2002, 50 (3), pp. 468 - 473	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0002-8614	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4439
dc.description.abstract	OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between lower body strength of community-dwelling older adults and the time to negotiate obstructed gait tasks. DESIGN: A correlational study. SETTING: The Biomechanics Laboratory, Deakin University, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-nine women and 16 men aged 62 to 88 were recruited using advertisements placed in local newspapers. The participants were independent community dwellers, healthy and functionally mobile. MEASUREMENTS: Maximal isometric strength of the knee extensors and dynamic strength of the hip extensors, hip flexors, hip adductors, hip abductors, knee extensors, knee flexors, and ankle plantar flexors were assessed. The times to negotiate four obstructed gait tasks at three progressively challenging levels on an obstacle course and to complete the course were recorded. The relationship between strength and the crossing times was explored using linear regression models. RESULTS: Significant associations between the seven strength measures and the times to negotiate each gait task and to walk the entire course at each level were obtained (r = -0.38 to -0.55; P < .05). In addition, the percentage of the variance explained by strength (R(2)), consistently increased as a function of the progressively challenging level. This increase was particularly marked for the stepping over task (R(2) = 19.3%, 25.0%, and 27.2%, for levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively) and the raised surface condition (R2 = 17.1%, 21.1%, and 30.8%, for levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings of the study showed that strength is a critical requirement for obstructed locomotion. That the magnitude of the association increased as a function of the challenging levels suggests that intervention programs aimed at improving strength would potentially be effective in helping community-dwelling older adults negotiate environmental gait challenges.	en_US
dc.language	eng	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	J Am Geriatr Soc	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1046/j.1532-5415.2002.50112.x	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Geriatrics	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Leg	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Gait	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Age Factors	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Aged, 80 and over	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	The relationship between lower body strength and obstructed gait in community-dwelling older adults.	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	3	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	50	en_US
utslib.location.activity	United States	en_US
utslib.for	110602 Exercise Physiology	en_US
utslib.for	110601 Biomechanics	en_US
utslib.for	1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	11 Medical and Health Sciences	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Health
utslib.copyright.status	closed_access
pubs.issue	3	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	50	en_US

Abstract:

OBJECTIVES: To determine the relationship between lower body strength of community-dwelling older adults and the time to negotiate obstructed gait tasks. DESIGN: A correlational study. SETTING: The Biomechanics Laboratory, Deakin University, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-nine women and 16 men aged 62 to 88 were recruited using advertisements placed in local newspapers. The participants were independent community dwellers, healthy and functionally mobile. MEASUREMENTS: Maximal isometric strength of the knee extensors and dynamic strength of the hip extensors, hip flexors, hip adductors, hip abductors, knee extensors, knee flexors, and ankle plantar flexors were assessed. The times to negotiate four obstructed gait tasks at three progressively challenging levels on an obstacle course and to complete the course were recorded. The relationship between strength and the crossing times was explored using linear regression models. RESULTS: Significant associations between the seven strength measures and the times to negotiate each gait task and to walk the entire course at each level were obtained (r = -0.38 to -0.55; P < .05). In addition, the percentage of the variance explained by strength (R(2)), consistently increased as a function of the progressively challenging level. This increase was particularly marked for the stepping over task (R(2) = 19.3%, 25.0%, and 27.2%, for levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively) and the raised surface condition (R2 = 17.1%, 21.1%, and 30.8%, for levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively). CONCLUSION: The findings of the study showed that strength is a critical requirement for obstructed locomotion. That the magnitude of the association increased as a function of the challenging levels suggests that intervention programs aimed at improving strength would potentially be effective in helping community-dwelling older adults negotiate environmental gait challenges.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/4439