Motor and Physical Function Impairments as Contributors to Slow Gait Speed and Mobility Difficulty in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Motor function affects ability to perform daily activities and maintain independence. Yet, the interrelatedness of upper and lower extremity motor impairments and the magnitude of their contribution to slow gait and mobility difficulty are not well investigated.

Methods

Participants in the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (N = 728, aged 50-99) completed motor and physical function tests including grip and knee extension strength, pegboard, finger tapping, standing balance, chair stands, fast-paced 400-m walk, and usual gait speed. Slow gait was defined as usual gait speed <1.0 m/s. Mobility difficulty was defined as self-reported difficulty walking ¼ mile or climbing stairs. Structural equation modeling examined the interrelationships of motor measures and th

SUBMITTER: Cai Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9373947 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature