Acceleration Patterns of the Head and Pelvis When Walking Are Associated With Risk of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older People

Abstract

Older people at risk of falling adopt a more conservative basic walking pattern, but this does not ensure that the movements of the head and pelvis are stable. The irregular pelvis and head accelerations evident in the high risk group suggests that these subjects may have difficulty controlling trunk motion and maintaining a stable visual field when walking, particularly on irregular terrain.