Walking Speed Gender Differences in Prepubertal Children: An Observational Study

Abstract

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