Impact of arm movement strategies on emotional state and gait outcomes during height-induced postural threat in healthy children compared to young adults

Empirical evidence indicates that height-induced postural threat as well as the restriction of arm movements lead to detrimental effects on walking performance. However, it is unclear whether the deteriorations are more pronounced in children (i.e., due to incomplete maturation) compared to young adults. This study investigated the effects of different arm movement strategies on subjective and objective indicators related to walking at or above ground-level in children compared to young adults. Twenty-nine children (age: 11.1 ± 0.3 years) and 26 young adults (age: 24.0 ± 4.7 years) walked five meters at self-selected speed on ground-level (no threat) and 80 cm above ground-level (threat) with free and restricted arm movements. Walking outcomes (i.e., gait speed, cadence) were measured and used as objective markers. Self-reported emotional state outcomes (i.e., balance confidence, fear of falling, perceived safety, conscious balance processing) were assessed and used as subjective indicators related to walking. Children significantly differed from young adults in objective and subjective outcomes related to gait by showing no decrease in walking cadence from the no threat to the threat condition (irrespective of arm movement condition) and a decrease in perceived safety when walking with restricted compared to free arm movements (irrespective of threat condition). The findings extend previous research related to postural threat and arm restriction while walking in young adults and provide new insights into understanding how children behave under these conditions.