The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Gait Characteristics and Gait Performance of Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

The Relationship Between Body Mass Index and Gait Characteristics and Gait Performance of Children With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

Abstract

Background and Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the relation between body mass index (BMI) and gait characteristics and performance in a cohort with DMD. Methods: Weight and height were measured to calculate BMI. BMI z-scores were used to categorise weight. Height, weight, and BMI were standardised to sex- and age-corrected z-scores based on the Turkish population. The gait characteristics were evaluated with Gait Assessment Scale for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD-GAS) and Quality and Independence of Gait Classification Scale for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (QIGS-DMD). The gait performance was assessed by the 6-minute walk test and the 10-meter walk/run test. The correlation between body composition and gait parameters was analysed. Results: Eighty-six children with DMD (age:109.9026.53 months, BMI:18.803.13 kg/m2) were included in the study. Among the participants, 40.7% had a BMI above the normal range. There were moderate correlations between DMD-GAS and height, weight, and BMI (r=-0.36, r=-0.44, r=-0.36, respectively) and moderate correlations between QIGS-DMD and height, weight, and BMI (r:0.43, r:0.48, r:0.35, respectively) (p<0.01). Conclusion: The current findings revealed that excessive weight gain affects the characteristics, quality, and independence of gait in children with DMD which indicated the importance of weight control during the ambulatory period of the disease.

Keywords

• Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
• obesity
• gait analysis
• gait
• performance

Ethical Statement

Ethical approval was obtained from the Ethics Committee of the Hacettepe University (GO 22/1125). The study adheres to the mandates of the Declaration of Helsinki.

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