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PURPOSE: This research was to describe the kinematic and kinetic characteristics of walking in community-dwelling middle-aged and elderly Japanese. Sex differences and relationships between walking variables and age were estimated. METHODS: Subjects were community-dwelling males and females (n=2075) aged 40-82yrs who participated in the 2^nd wave examination of the NILS-LSA (National Institute for Longevity Sciences - Longitudinal Study of Aging). The subjects were asked to walk over force platforms (at 1200Hz) while being videotaped at 60Hz. They were asked to walk with two paces: comfortable and brisk walking. Direct linear transformation method was used to obtain 3-dimensional coordinates of feet, shanks, thighs and torso. Walking velocity, step length, step frequency, temporal components (support time, swing time, cycle duration, single support time, double support time) and motions at lower extremities (total ranges or flexions and peak torques at hip, knee and ankle joints in sagittal plane) during 1 cycle of walking were calculated. Student t-test and Pearson's correlation coerficients were utilized to assess the sex differences and relationship between walking variables and age. Statistical analyses were performed on SAS (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC, USA) version 8.2. RESULTS: Student t-test showed that sex differences were observed in almost all the variables (p |
