Abstract
The first aim of this study was to examine the association between lower extremity muscle strength and gait speed in 33 older adults in residential private nursing home. The second aim was to examine the effect of differences in the lower extremity muscle strength (poor, average and good) on the association between lower extremity muscle strength and gait speed. Lower extremity muscle strength was measured by 30-sec Chair-Stand test (CS-30). Gait parameters were measured as gait speed, cadence, stride length, step length, step width, toe-out angle, foot angle, ground contact time, double support time, and swing time. The results of the comparison between the three groups showed that there were significant differences between the groups for lower extremity muscle strength, gait speed, cadence, stride length, step length, step width, foot angle, ground contact time and double support time. Spearman's rank correlation analysis in each group showed a significant positive correlation between lower extremity muscle strength and gait speed only in the poor group. Gait speed was shown to decrease as lower extremity muscle strength decreased, and the relationship between lower extremity muscle strength and gait speed varied according to differences in the lower extremity muscle strength.
