Slow gait speed is associated with frailty in older adults from nursing homes

Šporin, Martin (author), Zerbo Šporin, Dorjana (author)

Age-related frailty is a condition of diminished physiological reserves that increases the risk of falls, disability, hospitalisation and mortality. Frailty is usually associated with a lack of physical activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether a frail phenotype can be identified by gait speed. 94 older residents (83.6 ± 7.9 years, 68% women) from Slovenian nursing homes were included as study participants in this cross-sectional study. Frailty was assessed using Fried's Frailty Phenotype Protocol and gait speed was measured over a distance of 4.5 m. We used relative risk to determine whether gait speed was an indicator of frailty. Most of the residents were pre-frail (63%) or frail (16%). Gait speed was significantly lower in the frail group by -0.21 s (U = 331.5; p < 0.001) and a gait speed ≤ 0.457 m/s increased the risk of frailty by 40% (RR=1.40 (CI 1.15-1.70); p=0.0008). We suggest using gait speed as a simple indicator of potential frailty in nursing homes. Persons at risk should be included in a detailed diagnosis and advised on suitable measures. In particular, physical activity seems to prevent the occurrence of frailty.

• Language: English
• Keywords: aged, nursing homes, geriatric syndrome, exercise
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 167-176
• Numbering: Vol. 31, no. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-180540
• UDC: 796.01
• ISSN on article: 1318-2269
• DOI: 10.52165/kinsi.31.2.167-176
• COBISS.SI-ID: 243940355
• Publication date in RUL: 11.03.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Kinesiologia Slovenica. scientific journal on sport
• Shortened title: Kinesiol. Slov.
• Publisher: Fakulteta za šport, Inštitut za kineziologijo, Fakulteta za šport, Inštitut za kineziologijo, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1318-2269
• COBISS.SI-ID: 30681856

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Počasna hoja je povezana s starostno krhkostjo pri uporabnikih domov za starejše

Abstract

Starostno krhkost označujejo zmanjšane fiziološke rezerve, kar povečuje tveganje za padce, invalidnost, hospitalizacijo in umrljivost. Krhkost je običajno povezana tudi s pomanjkanjem telesne dejavnosti. Namen te študije je bil ugotoviti, ali je krhke starostnike mogoče prepoznati na osnovi hitrosti hoje. V prečno-presečno raziskavo je bilo vključenih 94 uporabnikov domov za starejše (83,6 ± 7,9 let, 68% žensk) v zahodni Sloveniji. Krhkost je bila določena z metodo Friedovega fenotipa krhkosti in hitrost hoje je bila izmerjena na dolžini 4.5 m. Da bi ugotovili, ali je hitrost hoje pokazatelj morebitne krhkosti, smo uporabili metodo relativnega tveganja. Večina uporabnikov je bila pred-krhkih (63%) ali krhkih (16%). Hitrost hoje je bila v skupini krhkih značilno nižja za 0.21 s (U = 331,5; p < 0,001) in hitrost hoje ≤ 0,457 m/s je tista, ki poveča tveganje za krhkost za kar 40% (RR=1,40 (CI 1,15-1,70); p=0,0008). Predlagamo uporabo hitrosti hoje kot preprostega pokazatelja potencialne krhkosti v domovih za starejše. Ogrožene posameznike je potrebno vključiti v poglobljeno diagnostiko ter ustrezne intervencije, pri čemer ima telesna dejavnost pomembno vlogo pri preprečevanju krhkosti.

• Keywords: telesna aktivnost, starostniki, domovi starejših občanov, geriatrični sindrom