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    Walking speed gender differences in prepubertal children: an observational study
    (Galenos Publishing House, 2022) Ahmedov, Shahin; Yaman Lesinger, Figen; Oytun, Musa; Filiz, Barış; Özkan, Fatih Kerem
    BACKGROUND/AIMS: Walking speed associates with a person's functional status and balance confidence, both of which diminish with age. The difference in children's body composition and prepubertal metabolic rate suggested gender variability in their walking parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The preferred step length, cadence, and overall walking speed of 457 school children (256 boys) aged 12.65 +/- 2.16 years old were assessed during a 20 meter walk. The participants' height, weight, and heart rate values were also collected. RESULTS: The preferred walking speed analysis demonstrated that the girls, despite their shorter height and age, moved faster than the boys (1.35 +/- 0.22 m/sec in boys. 1.43 +/- 0.22 m/sec in girls, p<0.01). The girls' baseline heart rate correlated with their final walking speed (n=177, r=0.202, p<0.05). Although, as expected, the children's step length positively correlated with their height (n=457, r=0.42; p<0.05), with an increase in the child's height, the step-to-height ratio decreased significantly (n=457, r= -0.40; p<0.05). The average walking speed in prepubertal children (1.39 +/- 0.22 m/sec) was the highest among all population groups. CONCLUSION: Girls demonstrated better walking performance compared to boys. The preferred walking speed allows for a quick assessment of the child's physical development necessary for effective exercise programs.