Does listening to audiobooks affect gait behavior?

Abstract Background: The effect of listening to audiobooks, podcasts, and other audio files while walking on gait performance has not been well studied. Although the number of audio users is growing annually. Evidence suggests that a posture-first strategy contributes to gait stability in healthy individuals during dual-task conditions, but this effect may be diminished when the cognitive task is consciously prioritized. Objectives: To study the effect of listening to an audiobook while walking, as a real dual-task, on spatiotemporal gait parameters. Methods: Forty young healthy (24.05±3.66) subjects participated in the study. Spatiotemporal gait parameters were measured for 5 minutes on a treadmill once without (single-task) and once while listening to an audiobook through headphones (dual-task). Measured parameters included spatiotemporal parameters, gait phases, maximum pressure, and dual-task cost. Data were statistically analyzed using SPSS software. Results: There were no significant differences in any of the studied parameters between the single- and dual-task conditions, even though the subjective cognitive load of listening to audiobooks while walking was high. However, participants with different habits had significant differences in gait phases and maximum pressure. Rare listeners had a shorter stance phase, a longer swing phase, and a higher maximum pressure on the dominant heel. They also had significant differences in dual-task costs. Conclusion:No differences in the spatiotemporal gait parameters for walking with and without listening to audiobooks, as a reality-based dual-task, were observed. However, the difference between participants who listened rarely and participants who listened often may confirm the "posture first" strategy in young healthy people. Trial registration: DRKS00025837