title: Walking Ability and Its Relationship to Self-Rated Health in Later Life.
abstract: This study investigated the relationship between self-assessed overall health (SRH) and walking ability among older adults (n = 239) gauged using three well-established measures of walking ability ("normal" and "fast" walking speeds, and perceived walking difficulty). Logistic regression models adjusted for health, behavioral, and sociodemographic variables were used to estimate the relationship between the three measures of walking ability and SRH. Walking ability was significantly associated with SRH; notably, only normal walking speed discriminated between participants in all three SRH comparisons (good versus poor/bad, good versus fair, or excellent versus good). Health care providers, family, and friends should be attentive to reduced walking speed or complaints about difficulty walking because these are harbingers of health decline.
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Stewart
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neufeld
authors.affiliation: Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Katerina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Machacova
authors.affiliation: Drexel University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
authors.forename: Jana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mossey
authors.affiliation: Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Luborsky
keywords: gerontology; older adult; self-rated health; walking ability