Gait initiation differences between overweight and normal weight individuals

Accidental falls often occur during gait initiation. Excess body weight has been identified as a risk factor for accidental falls. This study aimed to examine the differences of gait initiation between overweight and normal-weight individuals. Fourteen overweight and 14 normal-weight young adults participated in the study. They were instructed to perform the gait initiation task under single-task and dual-task conditions. Dependent variables for the assessment of gait initiation included spatial-temporal measures and postural stability measures. The results showed that overweight could compromise postural stability during gait initiation, primarily by decreasing margin of stability in the anterior-posterior direction. Cognitive task interference with gait initiation was found to be similar between the overweight and normal weight groups. The findings from the present study can aid in better understanding the mechanisms associated with increased fall risks among overweight individuals. They also highlight the importance of overweight control in fall prevention. Practitioner summary: Overweight was found to compromise postural stability during gait initiation, primarily by decreasing margin of stability in the anterior-posterior direction. The findings highlight the importance of overweight control in fall prevention. Abbreviations: ANOVA: analyses of variance; AP: anterior-posterior; APA: anticipatory postural adjustment; BOS: base of support; BW: Body weight; COM: centre-of-mass; COP: center-of-pressure; CT: cognitive task; GI: Gait initiation; GRF: ground reaction force; HC: heel-contact; HO: heel-off; ML: medial-lateral; MOS: margin of stability; SD: standard deviation; SE: step execution; SL: step length; SW: step width; VEL_COM: velocity of the COM; XCOM: extrapolated center of mass.