Comparison of Physical Performance, Balance, and Functional Mobility Parameters According to Walking Speed in Geriatric Individuals

Comparison of Physical Performance, Balance, and Functional Mobility Parameters According to Walking Speed Threshold Values in Geriatric Individuals

The aim of this study is to examine the determining role of walking speed on physical performance parameters in individuals aged 65 and over. The study aims to compare flexibility, lower extremity muscle strength (5-count sit-stand test), static balance (single-leg balance), upper extremity muscle strength (hand grip), dynamic balance (FUT), functional mobility (TUG), and stair climbing/climbing skills in individuals with walking speeds of 0.4-0.8 m/s (limited community mobility) and above 0.8 m/s (independent community mobility).

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Geriatric; Elderly (People Aged 65 or More)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Assessments

Detailed Description

Although the relationships between walking speed and individual physical parameters have been studied in the geriatric literature, comprehensive analyses comparing multidimensional parameters such as flexibility, static-dynamic balance, hand grip strength, and stair activity performance in groups separated according to walking speed threshold values (0.4-0.8 m/s and >0.8 m/s) are needed. This study aims to identify which physical components show the most significant deficits when walking speed decreases, thereby providing a scientific basis for clinical assessment processes and personalized preventive rehabilitation programs.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 76

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: GULFİDAN TOKGÖZ, Lecturer, PhD (c); Phone Number: 0552 022 76 32; Email: gulfidan.tokgoz@gmail.com

Study Locations

• Turkey (Türkiye)
  • Balıkesir, Turkey (Türkiye)
    • Balıkesir University
    • Contact: GULFİDAN TOKGÖZ, Lecturer, PhD (c); Phone Number: 0552 022 76 32; Email: gulfidan.tokgoz@gmail.com
    • Sub-Investigator: Bilal Katipoğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr.
    • Contact: Nilay ARMAN, Assoc. Prof. Dr.; Phone Number: +905534558707
    • Sub-Investigator: Saime Nilay Arman, Assoc. Prof. Dr.

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Probability Sample

Study Population

Geriatric individuals aged 65 and over who meet the inclusion criteria for the study.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Being 65 years of age or older
• Being able to perform walking functions
• Having sufficient mobility to perform the physical performance tests included in the research, such as 5 sit-stand tests, TUG (Trip and Go) tests, and stair climbing/descending tests. • Having a walking speed of at least 0.4 m/s or more as a result of the 4 Meter Walking Test (having limited or independent mobility within the community).
• Voluntarily agreeing to participate in the study and providing informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Having a history of advanced cognitive impairment or diagnosed dementia that would impair the ability to understand and follow test instructions.
2. Those diagnosed with moderate or severe cognitive impairment (MMSE < 24 and/or MoCA < 21)
3. Having a walking speed below 0.4 m/s on the 4-Meter Walk Test (individuals who are wheelchair-bound or bedridden).
4. Advanced Parkinson's disease, active stroke sequelae, lower extremity fracture within the last 6 months, or a history of acute orthopedic surgery that primarily affects motor performance and balance.
5. Those with severe hearing or vision loss
6. Individuals experiencing significant difficulty communicating
7. Participants who did not sign the voluntary consent form

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Geriartric Indivıduals; Geriatric individuals aged 65 and over who meet the inclusion criteria for the study.	Other: Assessments; Assessments will be conducted after obtaining voluntary consent from the participants. The physical performance tests to be applied within the scope of the research will be carried out by the research team within the framework of internationally accepted standard protocols whose validity and reliability have been proven in the geriatric population.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
4-Meter Walk Test (Walking Speed Measurement)	Walking speed will be assessed using the 4-Meter Walk Test, a key indicator of functional mobility in geriatric individuals. Participants will be asked to walk a 4-meter test area in the center at their "natural and comfortable walking speed," using 1-meter "acceleration" zones at the beginning and 1-meter "deceleration" zones at the end of a 6-meter flat course. The measurement will be recorded with a stopwatch the moment the participant's foot crosses the 4-meter marked area, and the result will be calculated in m/s (Studenski et al., 2011).	1 week

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Time Sit-Stand Test (5STS):	To assess lower extremity muscle strength and balance, participants will be asked to stand up and sit down as quickly as possible, five times consecutively, from a standard chair 43-45 cm high, with their arms crossed over their chest. The timer will start with the "start" command and end when the fifth sitting is completed (Bohannon, 2006).	1 week
Timed Up and Go (TUG):	To measure functional mobility, the participant will get up from the chair, walk a distance of 3 meters, return, and sit back down in the chair. This time will be recorded in seconds using a stopwatch (Podsiadlo & Richardson, 1991).	1 week
Functional Reach Test (FUT/FRT)	To measure static balance and stability limits, the maximum distance the participant can reach without losing balance and without taking a step, while standing next to a wall with the shoulder flexed at 90 degrees, will be measured (Duncan et al., 1990).	1 week
Single Leg Balance Test (Right and Left):	Participants' static balance will be determined by recording the "time they can stand on one leg" (maximum 60 seconds) with their eyes open and hands on their hips, on both their dominant and non-dominant legs (Springer et al., 2007).	1 week
Flexibility (Sit-and-Reach Test):	To measure hamstring and lower back flexibility, the participant will sit in a long, straight position, reaching forward without bending their knees. The distance reached by their fingertips will be recorded on a "sit-and-reach bench" (Wells & Dillon, 1952).	1 week
Stair Climbing Test	To assess high-level mobility, participants will be recorded in seconds for safely and as quickly as possible ascending and descending a staircase of standard step height [a specified number of steps, e.g., 10 steps] (Nightingale et al., 2003).	1 week
Strength Measurement (Hand Grip Strength):	Upper extremity muscle strength will be measured using a digital hand dynamometer according to the ASHT (American Society of Hand Therapists) protocol. Participants will be asked to grip with maximum force while sitting upright, with shoulder adduction and elbow 90 degrees flexed. Three repetitions will be performed for each hand, and the average of these measurements in kilograms (kg) will be included in the analysis (Roberts et al., 2011; Cruz-Jentoft et al., 2019).	1 week

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Abellan van Kan G, Rolland Y, Andrieu S, Bauer J, Beauchet O, Bonnefoy M, Cesari M, Donini LM, Gillette Guyonnet S, Inzitari M, Nourhashemi F, Onder G, Ritz P, Salva A, Visser M, Vellas B. Gait speed at usual pace as a predictor of adverse outcomes in community-dwelling older people an International Academy on Nutrition and Aging (IANA) Task Force. J Nutr Health Aging. 2009 Dec;13(10):881-9. doi: 10.1007/s12603-009-0246-z.
• Middleton A, Fritz SL, Lusardi M. Walking speed: the functional vital sign. J Aging Phys Act. 2015 Apr;23(2):314-22. doi: 10.1123/japa.2013-0236. Epub 2014 May 2.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): May 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): May 15, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 25, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 1, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 1, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 25, 2026
• Last Verified: April 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: elderly; geriatric; walkinp speed; physical fıtness
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2026/46

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No