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- Title
Added value of a triaxial accelerometer assessing gait parameters to predict falls and mortality among nursing home residents: A two-year prospective study.
- Authors
Buckinx, F.; Beaudart, C.; Slomian, J.; Maquet, D.; Demonceau, M.; Gillain, S.; Petermans, J.; Reginster, J.Y.; Bruyère, O.
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Gait impairment seems to be a risk factor for falls and mortality. Because gait change cannot be determined easily with classical clinical tests, some authors have suggested that it might be useful to use a gait-analysis system among elderly community-dwelling people. OBJECTIVE: The main objective of the present study was to determine the predictive value of a quantitative evaluation of the gait characteristics in nursing home residents for the occurrence of falls and death performed using a tri-axial accelerometer (Locométrix®). MATERIAL AND METHODS: One hundred elderly nursing home residents (80 women and 20 men, mean age 86.4 ± 6.04 years) were included in this study with the aim to follow them for 2 years. Deaths and falls were systematically recorded. A quantitative evaluation of a 10-second walk was performed with a tri-axial accelerometer (Locometrix®). Demographic data (i.e age, sex, body mass index) and clinical data (i.e. fall risk evaluated by the Tinetti test) were also recorded. RESULTS: During the two years of follow-up, 27 patients died. After adjustment on all potential confounding variables, only body mass index was significantly associated with the risk of mortality with an odds ratio of 0.86 (95% CI: 0.77-0.96, p=0.04). At the end of the study period, 440 falls had occurred (mean: 4.44 ± 6.79 falls per patient) but no single factors were independently associated with fall incidence. CONCLUSION: Our results show that a quantitative gait analysis performed using a tri-axial accelerometer is not predictive of long-term falls and mortality among nursing home residents.
- Subjects
ACCELEROMETERS; RISK factors of falling down; RESIDENTS (Medicine); NURSING home employees; GAIT disorders; BODY mass index
- Publication
Technology & Health Care, 2015, Vol 23, Issue 2, p195
- ISSN
0928-7329
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.3233/THC-140883