Correlates of Gait Speed Among Older Adults From 6 Countries: Findings From the COSMIC Collaboration

Few studies have compared gait speed and its correlates among different ethnogeographic regions. The goals of this study were to describe usual and rapid gait speed, and identify their correlates across Australian, Asian, and African countries.

We used data from 6 population-based cohorts of adults aged 65+ from 6 countries and 3 continents (N = 6 472), with samples ranging from 231 to 1 913. All cohorts are members of the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium collaboration. We investigated whether clinical (body mass index [BMI], hypertension, stroke, apolipoprotein status), psychological (cognition, mood, general health), and behavioral factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity) correlated with usual (N = 4 cohorts) and rapid gait speed (N = 3 cohorts) similarly across cohorts. Regression models were controlled for age, sex, and education, and were sex-stratified.

Age- and sex-standardized usual gait speed means ranged from 0.61 to 1.06 m/s and rapid gait speed means ranged from 1.16 to 1.64 m/s. Lower BMI and better cognitive function consistently correlated with faster gait speed in all cohorts. Less consistently, not having hypertension and greater physical activity engagement were associated with faster gait speed. Associations with mood, smoking, and drinking were largely nonsignificant. These patterns were not attenuated by demographics. There was limited evidence that the associations differed by sex, except physical activity, where the greater intensity was associated with usual gait among men but not women.

This study is among the first to describe the usual and rapid gait speeds across older adults in Africa, Asia, and Australia.