Gait, cognition and falls over 5 years, and motoric cognitive risk in New Zealand octogenarians: Te Puāwaitanga o Nga Tapuwae Kia Ora Tonu, LiLACS NZ

BACKGROUND: Understanding falls risk in advanced age is critical with people over 80 a rapidly growing demographic. Slow gait and cognitive complaint are established risk factors and together comprise the Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome (MCR). This study examined trajectories of gait and cognition and their association with falls over 5 years, and documented MCR in Māori and non-Māori of advanced age living in New Zealand. METHOD: Falls frequency was ascertained retrospectively at annual assessments. 3 m gait speed was measured and cognition was assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination (3MS). Frequency of MCR was reported. Gait and cognition trajectories were modelled and clusters identified from Latent Class Analysis. Generalised linear models examined association between changes in gait, cognition, MCR and falls. RESULTS: At baseline, 138 of 408 Māori (34%) and 205 of 512 non-Māori (40%) had fallen. Mean (SD) gait speed (m/s) for Māori was 0.66 (0.29) and 0.82 (0.26) for non-Māori. Respective 3MS scores were 86.2 (15.6) and 91.6 (10.4). Ten (4.3%) Maori participants met MCR criteria, compared with 7 (1.9%) non-Māori participants. Māori men were more likely to fall (OR 1.56; 95% CI 1.0–2.43 (P = 0.04) whilst for non-Māori slow gait increased falls risk (OR 0.40; 95% CI 0.24–0.68(P < 0.001). Non-Māori with MCR were more than twice as likely to fall than those without MCR (OR 2.45; 95% CI 1.06–5.68 (P = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Māori and non-Māori of advanced age show a mostly stable pattern of gait and cognition over time. Risk factors for falls differ for Māori, and do not include gait and cognition.