A Kinetic Gait Analysis During Obstacle Crossing in Middle-Aged Women

Aging causes physiological changes such as decreased walking speed, influencing motor control. Obstacle crossing challenges the neuromuscular system and changes the dynamics of the center of pressure (COP) and center of mass (COM). Analyzing the COP variations and ground reaction forces (GRFs) during walking is needed to identify movement abnormalities, assess fall risk, and develop effective interventions to improve quality of life and prevent injuries in middle age. This study aims to compare the GRFs and variability in COP and COM during normal walking and obstacle crossing in middle-aged women.

 This is a quasi-experimental, causal-comparative study on 24 healthy middle-aged women (aged 55-64) in Tehran, Iran. Participants were selected using a convenience sampling method. Kinetic data during obstacle crossing and normal walking were collected using two force plates (AMTI, USA) and motion analysis cameras (Vero version 2.2, UK). Motion errors were minimized by wearing special clothes and walking with barefoot. Statistical data analysis was performed in SPSS sofware, version 22.

 Participants’ mean age, height, and body mass index were 59.31±3.07 years, 157.91±0.03 cm, and 27.02±3.65, respectively. Significant increases were observed in the COP-COM of the right foot  at the mediolateral (t=-2.79, P=0.009) and anteroposterior (t=-4.21, P=0.001) directions, and in the GRFs of the right foot at the anteroposterior (t=-8.539, P=0.001) and vertical (t=-3.604, P=0.001) directions during obstacle crossing, compared to those during normal walking.

 There are significant increases in the COP-COM and GRFs during obstacle crossing in middle-aged women, which are not evident during normal walking. Further studies using advanced analyses and diverse populations are recommended to better understand these changes.