Correlates of gait speed among older adults from six countries: Findings from the COSMIC collaboration

Abstract Background Few studies have compared gait speed and its correlates among different ethnogeographic regions. The goals of this study were to describe usual and rapid gait speed, and identify their correlates, across Australia, Asia, and African countries. Methods We used data from six population-based cohorts of adults 65+ from six countries and three continents (N=6472), with samples ranging from 231 to 1913. All cohorts are members of the Cohort Studies of Memory in an International Consortium (COSMIC) collaboration. We investigated whether clinical (BMI, hypertension, stroke, APOE status), psychological (cognition, mood, general health) and behavioral factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity) correlated with usual (N = 4 cohorts) and rapid gait speed (N = 3 cohorts) similarly across cohorts. Regression models controlled for age, sex, and education, and were sex-stratified. Results Age- and sex-standardized usual gait speed means ranged from 0.61-1.06 m/s and rapid gait speed means ranged from 1.16-1.64 m/s. Lower body mass index and better cognitive function consistently correlated with faster gait speed in all cohorts. Less consistently, not having hypertension and greater physical activity engagement were associated with faster gait speed. Associations with mood, smoking, and drinking were largely non-significant. These patterns were not attenuated by demographics. There was limited evidence that the associations differed by sex except physical activity, where greater intensity was associated with usual gait among men but not women. Conclusions This study is among the first to describe usual and rapid gait speeds across older adults in Africa, Asia, and Australia.