Reliability of gait speed with a self-report method and a physical test method in older people from the community

Abstract

Background: The literature increasingly emphasizes the relevance of gait speed in assessing frailty in patients aged 60 and above. However, conventional gait speed measurement may be contraindicated in situations such as trauma, in which the patient is temporarily immobile or immobilized with reduced mobility. To overcome this limitation, a numerical scale of walking speed based on The Walking Speed Questionnaire has been adapted. Objective: Assess the reliability of gait speed obtained through two methods: the numeric gait speed scale and the 10-meter walk test. Materials: The sample included 76 individuals aged 60 and above, selected from an outpatient centre in Talcahuano (Chile) through non-probabilistic convenience sampling. Participants provided self-reports of gait speed using a numeric scale proposed by Cong et al. (2016), and subsequently, the same variable was measured through the 10-meter walk test. Results: A mean gait speed of 1.17±0.26 m/s was found in the self-report and 1.15 ± 0.22 m/s in the 10 m physical test. There is a high relationship of gait speed between the self-report and the physical test (r=0.828; p>0.001), with minimal differences between them (t=0.131; p=0.193) and a very good internal consistency between both methods (Cronbach=0,914; CCI=0.818). Conclusion: The self-report of gait speed using a numerical scale with an answer in the international unit of measurement (m/s), is a reliable and effective tool to assess gait speed when the physical test is difficult to perform implement