Recurrent Falls and Dual Task–Related Decrease in Walking Speed: Is There a Relationship?

  1. Olivier Beauchet MD, PhD,
  2. Cédric Annweiler MD, MS,
  3. Gilles Allali MD, MS,
  4. Gilles Berrut MD, PhD,
  5. François R. Herrmann MD, MPH,
  6. Véronique Dubost PhD

Article first published online: 28 MAY 2008

DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01766.x

Issue

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Volume 56, Issue 7, pages 1265–1269, July 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Beauchet, O., Annweiler, C., Allali, G., Berrut, G., Herrmann, F. R. and Dubost, V. (2008), Recurrent Falls and Dual Task–Related Decrease in Walking Speed: Is There a Relationship?. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 56: 1265–1269. doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2008.01766.x

Author Information

  1. From the *Department of Geriatrics, Angers University Hospitals, Angers, France; Departments of †Neurology and §Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland‡Department of Geriatrics, Nantes University Hospitals, Nantes, France∥Department of Geriatrics, Dijon University Hospitals, Dijon, France

*Address correspondence to Olivier Beauchet, MD, PhD, Department of Geriatrics, Angers University Hospitals, 49933 Angers Cedex 9, France. E-mail: olbeauchet@chu-angers.fr

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 AUG 2008
  2. Article first published online: 28 MAY 2008

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Keywords:

  • dual-task;
  • walking speed;
  • recurrent falls;
  • older adults

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether dual task–related changes in walking speed were associated with recurrent falls in frail older adults.

DESIGN: Twelve-month prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Thirteen senior housing facilities.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred thirteen subjects (mean age 84.4±5.5).

MEASUREMENTS: Usual and dual-tasking walking speeds (m/s) were calculated on a 10-m straight walkway at baseline. Information on incident falls during the follow-up year was collected monthly, and participants were divided into three groups based on the occurrence of falls (0, 1, and ≥2). Recurrent falls were defined as two or more falls during the 12-month follow-up period.

RESULTS: Twenty subjects (9.4%) were classified as recurrent fallers. The occurrence of recurrent falls was associated with age (crude odds ratio (OR)=1.11, P=.02), number of drugs (crude OR=1.28, P=.002), and walking speed under both walking conditions (crude OR=0.96, P=.002 for usual walking and crude OR=0.60, P=.005 for walking while counting backward). Multiple Poisson regression showed that only walking speed while dual tasking and number of drugs were associated with incident falls (incident rate ratio (IRR)=0.84, P=.045 and IRR=1.10, P=.004).

CONCLUSION: Slower walking speed while counting backward was associated with recurrent falls, suggesting that changes in gait performance while dual tasking might be an inexpensive way of identifying frail older adults prone to falling.

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