title: Is gait speed or walking distance a better predictor for community walking after stroke?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if gait speed or walking distance is a better predictor for community walking after stroke.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from the FIT-Stroke trial were used in a cross-sectional design. Community walking was measured with a self-administered questionnaire. The 5-m timed walk and the 6-min walk were used to assess gait speed and walking distance. With bivariate regression analyses the association between gait speed or walking distance and community walking was tested and possible confounders were identified. Discriminative properties of gait speed and walking distance for community walking were investigated by means of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  79% of 241 patients were classified as community walkers. Standing balance, fear of falling and time post-stroke were found to be significant confounders in the relationship between gait speed and community walking. No significant confounders were found for the association between walking distance and community walking. There was no significant difference between the area under the curve of the ROC curves of gait speed (0.86), walking distance (0.89) and gait speed adjusted for confounding (0.89).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Gait speed and walking distance are equally appropriate predictors for community walking after stroke, whereas the contribution of confounders is limited.
authors.affiliation: Centre of Excellence for Rehabilitation Medicine Utrecht, Rehabilitation Centre De Hoogstraat and Rudolf Magnus Institute, 3583 TM Utrecht Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Merel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bijleveld-Uitman
authors.forename: Ingrid
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van de Port
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kwakkel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait; D020233:Gait Disorders, Neurologic / Q000145:classification* / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012647:Self-Assessment; D020521:Stroke / Q000150:complications; D000071939:Stroke Rehabilitation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D016138:Walking / Q000145:classification*