The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of the average acceleration of elderly people during walking.

The subject cohort comprised nine men and 21 women aged ≥63 years. Subjects walked a 10-m straight course (walk test) which required stepping over six obstacles (hurdle walk test). The average acceleration was calculated from the accelerograms. Functional reach test scores and the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) index of competence, fall risk assessment, fall experience within the last year, and carelessness were used as standard indices to estimate the dynamic postural movement and fall risk.

The average acceleration during the walk test was not significantly correlated with the standard indices. The average accelerations at the lumbar and knee positions clustered with fall experience and carelessness, while those at the ankle and toe positions clustered with the hurdle walk test, TMIG index of competence, and fall risk assessment. Between the high- and low-risk groups classified by the conventional indices, there was a significant difference in the average acceleration at some measurement positions. The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed the possibility to discriminate the high-risk group according to the standard indices with average acceleration.

The average acceleration during walking may be a composite index that encompasses standard indices and discriminate the high-risk group. As such, it may be a useful tool to estimate the dynamic postural movement and fall risk at all measurement positions.