# Gait Pattern Differences Between Young Adults and Physically Active Older Adults

## TL;DR

This study compares walking patterns of young and older adults, finding significant differences in gait parameters like stride length and cadence.

## Contribution

The study uses a portable insole system to compare gait patterns between young and physically active older adults, highlighting the impact of age and physical activity.

## Key findings

- Older adults showed significantly shorter stride lengths and lower cadence compared to young adults.
- Strong correlations were found between age and gait parameters like cadence and swing time.
- Sex differences were observed within each age group for various gait variables.

## Abstract

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to compare gait patterns between young adults and physically active older adults. Additionally, the relation between these parameters and age was explored. Materials and Methods: Transversal case and control study, recruiting 81 participants divided into two groups: young adults (18–45 years) and physically active older adults (60+ years). Participants were assessed using the PodoSmart Insole® system, which recorded spatiotemporal and kinematic gait data. Gait parameters were measured during a self-selected walking test. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, t-tests for group comparisons, and Pearson’s correlation to explore relationships between age and gait parameters. Results: Significant differences in gait parameters were found between young and older adults, particularly in stride length (right foot: p = 0.009, left foot: p = 0.001), cadence (p < 0.001), contact time (p < 0.001), swing time (p < 0.001), and support phase duration (p < 0.001), with moderate to large effect sizes. Sex differences were also observed within each group for several gait variables. Correlation analysis evidenced worsened parameters with increasing age, with moderate to strong associations in terms of cadence (r = −0.590), contact time (r = −0.504, r = −0.462), swing time (r = −0.662), and support phase duration (r = −0.524, r = −0.439). Conclusions: Evident differences in gait parameters are observed between young adults and active older adults. Although these results follow the trend of previous studies that employed more sophisticated lab-based protocols for gait analysis, slight differences between our study and these others could be attributed to the regular physical activity performed by these participants, which should be explored in more detail in future studies.