Falls risk higher for women, multitaskers

Women tend to be good multitaskers, but that skill may lead to more falls in older years than their male counterparts, notes a new cohort study published in JAMDA, The Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine.

The study, which tracked nearly 1,400 70-year-old adults, measured gait patterns and noted the changes in gait as the participants walked at different speeds and while doing other tasks. After accounting for physical activity levels and seven different gait parameters, women showed higher fall rates and greater gait changes than men—especially when performing other tasks while walking.

The study revealed clear gait changes as a precursor to falls risk: gait patterns changed 20-40 percent in those who reported falling, and 15-35 percent increased variability in those engaged in the dual task of walking while counting backwards from 100.

The research was conducted as part of the Healthy Ageing Initiative at Umeå University, Sweden.

Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.