Abstract
This study examined the validity of a 50 m walk test to assess the elderlyʼs gait ability. The following items were measured, involving 13 elderly (mean age: 71.0) males living in the community: the times needed to walk 50 m, 10 m between laps (1 to 5), and 5 m;quadriceps muscle strength; and 30-Second Chair Stand (CS-30), Standing on one leg with eyes open, and Timed Up & Go (TUG) test scores. On comparison of the times needed to walk 10 m between laps, no significant differences were observed, indicating that the participants walked at a stable pace. Regarding the association between the gait ability and physical function, the results of the 50 m walk test were significantly correlated with the quadriceps muscle strength, as well as CS-30, Standing on one leg with eyes open, and TUG test scores. On the other hand, the time needed to walk 5 m showed a significant correlation only with the quadriceps muscle strength and TUG test scores. These results confirmed that the 50 m walk test reflects healthy elderly malesʼphysical function more accurately than the time needed to walk 5 m as a conventional index for gait assessment.
