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Association between knee pain and gait speed decline in rural J apanese community‐dwelling older adults: 1‐year prospective cohort study
Author(s) -
Kitayuguchi Jun,
Kamada Masamitsu,
Hamano Tsuyoshi,
Nabika Toru,
Shiwaku Kuninori,
Kamioka Hiroharu,
Okada Shimpei,
Mutoh Yoshiteru
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12432
Subject(s) - medicine , prospective cohort study , knee pain , confounding , physical therapy , poisson regression , gait , preferred walking speed , cohort study , incidence (geometry) , population , cohort , rate ratio , osteoarthritis , confidence interval , physics , alternative medicine , environmental health , pathology , optics
Aim The present study examined whether knee pain was associated with decline in maximum gait speed ( MGS ) in a rural mountainous region. Methods This was a population‐based 1‐year prospective cohort study. A total of 658 men and women aged 60 years and older participated in the baseline survey in 2006, and 400 individuals participated in the follow‐up survey in 2007. We compared the incidence of meaningful decline in gait speed (≥0.1 m/s) in older adults with different knee pain levels (none, mild, severe), estimating incidence rate ratio ( IRR ) by multivariable‐adjusted Poisson regression model. Results Meaningful decline in MGS presented in 24.3% of participants, especially in men (30.3%). Baseline knee pain level was significantly related to meaningful decline in MGS after adjustment of potential confounders ( IRR 1.79 for mild pain, 1.84 for severe pain; P for trend <0.01). In sensitivity analyses with change in MGS as the continuous variable, the association was not significant, but a similar negative association with knee pain was confirmed (mild pain β = −0.040, severe pain β = −0.088; P for trend = 0.104). In addition, older adults with knee pain at both baseline and follow up had a higher risk of meaningful decline in MGS ( IRR 2.33, 95% CI 1.59–3.40) compared with those who had no pain at baseline or follow up. Conclusions Knee pain was associated with a decline in gait speed at 1‐year follow up. Prevention and treatment of knee pain might be important for suppression of decline in physical function in older adults. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 55–64 .