Single-task, dual-task, and community gait speeds of older adults in Singapore: their associations with frailty, cognition, and age-friendly cities.

Abstract

Background and objectives: Gait speed (GS) is a powerful measure of older adult health and mobility. Although laboratory GS is easy to obtain through clinical tests, it only reflects capacity and not actual performance. Conversely, community GS is challenging to obtain but holds ecological relevance for health-related policy and applications. This study investigates the relationship between single-task and dual-task laboratory GSs and community GS and further tests their comparative relationships with physical and cognitive health.

Research design and methods: Community-dwelling older adults aged ≥50 years (N = 1025) took part in this study. Laboratory GS tests were conducted under controlled settings with the 10-m GS assessment, with and without simultaneous cognitive load, whereas community GSs were computed from walking trips recorded in a 14-day travel diary on a geospatial tracking mobile application. Statistical analyses included the paired sample test, partial correlations, and multi-level linear regressions.

Results: Findings show that although the two laboratory GSs were significantly correlated with community GS, the single-task GS had significantly stronger associations. At the same time, each laboratory test has distinct functions, with single-task GS showing significant association with physical frailty, and dual-task GS, with cognitive impairment. Community GS remains crucial for urban planning of accessibility to transport and services.

Discussion and implications: We conclude that despite being significantly correlated, all three GSs serve distinct purposes and should be used in the right context to optimize impact and application-community GS for policy making, single-task GS for frailty assessments, and dual-task GS for cognitive assessments.