Walking speed is a highly valid test , both at habitual and maximum speed .
Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments , and they predict death , hospitalization/institutionalization , and decline in mobility
The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades .
Therefore , it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting .
This systematic review aim ed to critically evaluate the reliability , validity , and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community , sheltered housing , or institutions .
Mobility Limitations and Cognitive Deficits as Predictors of Institutionalization among Community-Dwelling Older People
Purpose : Mobility limitations and cognitive disorders have often been observed as risks for institutionalization . However , their combined effects on risk of institutionalization among initially community-dwelling older people have been less well reported . Design : A prospect i ve cohort study with 10-year surveillance on institutionalization . Subjects : Study population ( n = 476 ) consisted of 75- and 80-year-old people who were community-dwelling , had not been diagnosed with dementia , and participated in tests on walking speed and cognitive capacity at a research centre . Measures : Cognitive capacity was measured with three vali date d psychometric tests that were from the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale , Wechsler Memory Scale and Schaie- Thurstone Adult Mental Abilities Test .  Mobility  was measured with walking speed over a 10-m distance . Exclusive distribution based study groups were formed with cut-offs at the lowest third as follows : no limitation , solely mobility limitation , solely cognitive deficits , and combined mobility limitation and cognitive deficits . Cox proportional hazards model was used to determine the relative risks of institutionalization for the study groups . Results : Eleven percent of the participants were institutionalized during the 10-year surveillance . The risk for institutionalization was 4.9 times greater ( 95 % confidence interval : 2.1–11.2 ) for those who had co-existing mobility limitations and cognitive deficits than for those with no limitations . Conclusions : The findings show that the accumulation of limitations in physical and cognitive performance substantially decreases the possibility for a person remaining at home . This might be due to a decreased reserve capacity and ineffective compensatory strategies . Therefore , interventions targeted to improve even one limitation , or prevent accumulation of these risk factors , could significantly reduce the risk of institutionalization
Walking speed is a highly valid test , both at habitual and maximum speed .
Both habitual and maximum walking speeds are valid instruments , and they predict death , hospitalization/institutionalization , and decline in mobility
The number of available walking tests has increased dramatically over the past decades .
Therefore , it is highly important to help clinicians choose the most appropriate walking test for a specific setting .
This systematic review aim ed to critically evaluate the reliability , validity , and responsiveness of clinical walking speed in a broad population of elderly persons living in the community , sheltered housing , or institutions .