title: Walking while talking and falls in aging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  While divided attention tasks are recognized as predictors of falls in older adults, a comprehensive examination of this association is lacking.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the validity of a 'walking while talking' (WWT) task for predicting falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  We studied the associations of 8 selected gait markers measured during WWT (individually as well as domains derived by factor analysis) with incident falls in 646 adults (mean age 79.9 years; 61% women) enrolled in an aging study who received quantitative gait assessments. Cox regressions adjusted for multiple potential confounders and normal-pace walking were used to examine the associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Over a mean follow-up of 2.6 years, 337 participants (52%) fell. Step length was the only individual WWT parameter that predicted falls [hazard ratio (HR) 0.98; p = 0.034]. Factor analysis identified 3 gait domains, of which only the pace factor predicted falls (HR 1.31; p = 0.002). Results remained robust after adjusting for multiple potential confounders and accounting for normal-pace walking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  WWT performance was a significant predictor of falls. Gait domains in WWT should be further studied to improve current fall risk assessments and to develop new interventions.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Neurology and Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, New York, N.Y., USA.
authors.forename: Emmeline I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Ayers
authors.forename: Amanda C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Tow
authors.forename: Roee
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holtzer
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Verghese
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*