title: The association between fear of falling and gait variability in both leg and trunk movements.
abstract: The aim of this study was to explore whether FoF was associated with variability in both leg and trunk movements during gait in community-dwelling elderly. Ninety-three elderly people participated in this study. Each participant was categorized into either Fear or No-Fear group on the basis of having FoF. The participants walked 15m at their preferred speed. The wireless motion recording sensor units were attached to L3 spinous process and right posterior surface of heel during gait. Gait velocity, stride time and stride length were calculated. Variability in lower limb movements was represented by coefficient of variation (CV) of stride time. Trunk variability was represented by autocorrelation coefficients (AC) in three directions (vertical: VT, mediolateral: ML and anteroposterior: AP), respectively. Gait parameters were compared between groups, and further analyses were performed using generalized linear regression models after adjustment of age, sex, fall experience, height, weight, and gait velocity. Although gait velocity, mean stride time and stride length did not differ significantly between groups, stride time CV and all ACs were significantly worse in the Fear group after adjustment for variables, even including gait velocity (stride time CV: p=0.003, β=-0.793; AC-VT: p=0.011, β=0.053; AC-ML: p=0.044, β=0.075; AC-AP: p=0.002, β=0.078). Our results suggest that fear of falling is associated with variability in both leg and trunk movements during gait in community-dwelling elderly. Further studies are needed to prove a causal relationship.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan. Electronic address: ry-sawa@stu.kobe-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Ryuichi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sawa
authors.affiliation: Section for Health Promotion Department for Research and Development to Support Independent Life of Elderly, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan; Research Institute, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.affiliation: Kobe City Hospital Organization, Kobe City Medical Center West Hospital, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Shogo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Misu
authors.affiliation: Section for Health Promotion Department for Research and Development to Support Independent Life of Elderly, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Kota
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tsutsumimoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan; Section for Health Promotion Department for Research and Development to Support Independent Life of Elderly, Center for Gerontology and Social Science, National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology, Obu, Japan.
authors.forename: Sho
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakakubo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Kobegakuin University, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsuyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.affiliation: Human Health Sciences, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health Sciences, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Rei
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology*; D035002:Lower Extremity; D008297:Male; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060726:Torso / Q000502:physiology*; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Elderly; Fear of falling; Gait