Title
Effect of multimorbidity on gait speed in well-functioning older people: A population-based study in Peru
Date Issued
01 February 2018
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
CRÓNICAS, Centro de Excelencia en Enfermedades Crónicas
Publisher(s)
Blackwell Publishing
Abstract
Aim: To determine the association between multimorbidity and gait speed in a population-based sample of older people without functional dependency. Methods: Data were obtained from a previously made cross-sectional population-based study of individuals aged >60 years carried out in San Martin de Porres, the second most populous district in Lima, Peru. We included well-functioning, independent older people. Exclusion criteria emphasized removing conditions that would impair gait. The exposure of interest was non-communicable chronic disease multimorbidity, and the outcome was gait speed determined by the time required for the participant to walk a distance of 8 m out of a total distance of 10 m. Generalized linear models were used to estimate adjusted gait speed by multimorbidity status. Results: Data from 265 older adults with a median age of 68 years (IQR 63–75 years) and 54% women were analyzed. The median gait speed was 1.06 m/s (SD 0.27) and the mean number of chronic conditions per adult was 1.1 (SD ±1). The difference in mean gait speed between older adults without a chronic condition and those with ≥3 chronic conditions was 0.24 m/s. In crude models, coefficients decreased by a significant exponential factor for every increase in the number of chronic conditions. Further adjustment attenuated these estimates. Conclusions: Slower speed gaits are observed across the spectrum of multimorbidity in older adults without functional dependency. The role of gait speed as a simple indicator to evaluate and monitor general health status in older populations is expanded to include older adults without dependency. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 293–300.
Start page
293
End page
300
Volume
18
Issue
2
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
PolÃticas de salud, Servicios de salud
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85042269057
PubMed ID
Source
Geriatrics and Gerontology International
ISSN of the container
14441586
Sponsor(s)
This work was supported by Fondo Cooperante of the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Number 20105091001). The funder had no role in this study. We thank all the employees of the town council of the San Martin de Porres district for giving us facilities, transport and security during fieldwork.
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción CientÃfica
Scopus