Validation of the Parallel Walk Test as a Fall Risk Assessment in Community-dwelling Older Adults: Preliminary Analysis

Research Objectives: To assess the concurrent and predictive validity of the Parallel Walk Test (PWT) in community-dwelling older adults at 3 month follow-up.

Design: Prospective cohort. Participants underwent an initial assessment battery between September, 2023 and January, 2024. Participants were contacted after 3 months to assess incidence of falls between initial assessment and 3-month follow-up.

Setting: Community sites in the greater Milwaukee, Wisconsin area.

Participants: Convenience sample. 97 adults (M = 27) age >60 years who were able to walk at least 50 feet (with or without an assistive device) without resting. Participants were excluded if they had an orthopedic injury, surgery, or stroke within the past 6 months, myocardial infarction or loss of consciousness within the past 3 months, unstable angina, shortness of breath at rest or minimal effort, or were unable to read and write in English.

Interventions: Not applicable

Main Outcome Measures: At the initial visit participants completed a demographic survey, health and fall history questionnaire, cognitive assessment (MoCA), and Activity-Specific Balance Questionnaire (ABC). Physical measures were: PWT velocity, timed up-and-go (TUG), 10-meter walk test velocity (10MWT), and grip strength. Falls incidence at 3-months was defined as number of times participants had a fall according to WHO criteria.

Results: In 96 participants with 3-month follow-up data, Pearson’s correlation revealed statistically significant correlations between PWT and: 10MWT (r = 0.922), TUG (r = -0.722), ABC (r = -0.218), and grip strength (r = 0.405). No statistically significant correlations were found between PWT, 10MWT or TUG and number of past falls, or falls at 3 months. A statistically significant correlation was observed between falls at 3 months and ABC (r = -0.281) and between falls at 3 months and fall history (r = -0.317).

Conclusions: The parallel walk test shows moderate to excellent concurrent validity with the 10-MWT, TUG and the ABC Scale, but is no better at predicting falls at 3 months or discriminating between past fallers than the TUG or 10MWT.

Author(s) Disclosures: No conflicts to declare