Are cost-effective technologies feasible to measure gait in older adults? A systematic review of evidence-based literature.
BACKGROUND
Unrestricted by time and place, innovative technologies seem to provide cost-effective solutions for gait assessment in older adults.


OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to provide an overview of gait assessment for older adults by investigating critical gait characteristics of older adults, discussing advantages and disadvantages of the current gait assessment technologies, as well as device applicability.


METHODS
The Preferred Reporting Item for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines were followed during the review. Inclusion criteria were: (1) Sample consisting of adults older than 60 years; (2) qualitative, quantitative, or mixed-method researches using one or more specific gait assessment technologies; and (3) publication in English between 2000 and 2018.


RESULTS
In total, twenty-one studies were included. Gait speed, stride length, frequency, acceleration root mean square, step-to-step consistency, autocorrelation, harmonic ratio were reported in the existing literatures to be associated with falls. The enrolled studies address the use of pedometer, wearable accelerometer-based devices, Kinect, Nintendo Wii Balance Board as cost-effective gait assessment technologies.


CONCLUSIONS
Gait parameters and assessment approaches for older adults are diverse. Cost-effective technologies such as a wearable accelerometer-based device, Kinect, and the Nintendo Wii Balance Board provide potential alternatives for gait assessment with acceptable validity and reliability compared with sophisticated devices. The popularity and development of cost-effective devices have made large-scale data collection for gait assessment possible in the daily environment. Further study could involve older adults and their family members/caregivers in use of these technologies to design elderly-friendly products.
['Zhong|Runting|R|', 'Rau|Pei-Luen Patrick|PP|']
D000058:Accidental Falls D000368:Aged D000369:Aged, 80 and over D020811:Biomedical Technology D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis D005260:Female D005684:Gait D015577:Geriatric Assessment D006801:Humans D008297:Male D004856:Postural Balance D015203:Reproducibility of Results D000072797:Walking Speed
Older adults Gait assessment Fall Ageing in place Gerontechnology