PTAT-O-19 Tandem walking ability in Thai healthy women aged 20-79 years
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Date
2011-02-01
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Physical Therapy Association of Thailand
Abstract
Purpose:\ The purpose of this study is to compare the ability of tandem walk in Thai healthy women and to study the relationship between age and tandem walking performance. Participants: The 148 volunteers participated in this research are divided into 6 age groups i.e. 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70-79 years . Methods: The participants were assigned for tandem walking measurement along the straight line for total of 30 steps, counting the walking error and timing the walking time only in the middle 20 steps. Analysis: The difference between age groups was compared by One Way ANOVA and Scheffe Post hoc test was performed for multiple comparisons. Results: The walking error in the group of 20-29 and 30-39 years (2.26 +/-1.52, 2.76 +/- 2.77 times respectively) were significantly different(p\< 0.05) from the group of 60-69 and 70-79 years (6.63 +/- 4.45, 8.58ฑ4.84 times respectively). The tandem walking time in the group of 20-29 years (26.86 5.31 seconds) and 70-79 years (38.35ฑ9.08 seconds) are significantly different (p\< 0.05). Furthermore, this study found medium level correlation between aged and walking error (r =.477) significantly (p\<0.05), and low level correlation between age and tandem walking time ( r = .301) significantly (p\<0.05). Conclusions: The result of this study can be concluded that the tandem walking performance in 20-29 and 30-39 years are changed when the age are over 60 years and the balance performance during tandem walk declined with increasing age. Therefore the important of safe ambulation for elderly should be concerned especially when the age is over 60 years. Key words: Tandem walk, balance performance.
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Thai Journal of Physical Therapy; Vol 32 No 3 2010; 181-182