TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2023//
TI  - Prevalence and trends of slow gait speed in the United States
JO  - Geriatrics (Basel)
A1  - Stover, Emily
A1  - Andrew, Sarah
A1  - Batesole, Joshua
A1  - Berntson, Maren
A1  - Carling, Chloe
A1  - FitzSimmons, Samantha
A1  - Hoang, Tyler
A1  - Nauer, Joseph
A1  - McGrath, Ryan
SP  - e95
EP  - e95
VL  - 8
IS  - 5
N2  - Gait speed is a simple, effective indicator of age-related disease and disability. We sought to examine the prevalence and trends of slow gait speed in older Americans. Our unweighted analytic sample included 12,427 adults aged ≥ 65 years from the 2006-2016 waves of the Health and Retirement Study. Gait speed was measured in participant residences. Persons with gait speed < 0.8 or <0.6 m/s were slow. Sample weights were used to generate nationally representative estimates. The overall estimated prevalence of slow gait speed with the <0.8 m/s cut-point was 48.6% (95% confidence interval (CI): 47.4-49.8) in the 2006-2008 waves yet was 45.7% (CI: 44.3-47.1) in the 2014-2016 waves, but this downward trend was not statistically significant (p = 0.06). The estimated prevalence of slowness with the <0.6 m/s cut-point was 21.3% (CI: 20.4-22.3) for the 2006-2008 waves, 18.5% (CI: 17.5-19.4) for the 2010-2012 waves, and 19.2% (CI: 18.2-20.2) for the 2014-2016 waves, but there were again no significant trends (p = 0.61). Our findings showed that the estimated prevalence of slow gait speed in older Americans is pronounced, and different cut-points largely inform how slowness is categorized. Continued surveillance of slowness over time will help guide screening for disablement and identify sub-populations at greatest risk for targeted interventions.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2308-3417
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/geriatrics8050095
ID  - ref1
ER  -