Age- and Gender-Related Test Performance in Community-Dwelling Elderly People: Six-Minute Walk Test, Berg Balance Scale, Timed Up & Go Test, and Gait Speeds

The interpretation of patient scores on clinical tests of physical mobility is limited by a lack of data describing the range of performance among people without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to provide data for 4 common clinical tests in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. Ni...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Physical therapy 2002-02, Vol.82 (2), p.128-137
Main Authors: Steffen, Teresa M, Hacker, Timothy A, Mollinger, Louise
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Activities of Daily Living
Age Distribution
Age Factors
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Cohort Studies
Elderly
Exercise Test - standards
Exercise Test - statistics & numerical data
Female
Gait - physiology
Health risk assessment
Human locomotion
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Physical fitness
Postural Balance - physiology
Reference Values
Reproducibility of Results
Sample Size
Sex Factors
Testing
Time Factors
Walking - physiology
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Summary:The interpretation of patient scores on clinical tests of physical mobility is limited by a lack of data describing the range of performance among people without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to provide data for 4 common clinical tests in a sample of community-dwelling older adults. Ninety-six community-dwelling elderly people (61-89 years of age) with independent functioning performed 4 clinical tests. Data were collected on the Six-Minute Walk Test (6MW), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed Up & Go Test (TUG) and during comfortable- and fast-speed walking (CGS and FGS). Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to determine the test-retest reliability for the 6MW, TUG, CGS, and FGS measurements. Data were analyzed by gender and age (60-69, 70-79, and 80-89 years) cohorts, similar to previous studies. Means, standard deviations, and 95% confidence intervals for each measurement were calculated for each cohort. The 6MW, TUG, CGS, and FGS measurements showed high test-retest reliability (ICC [2,1]=.95-.97). Mean test scores showed a trend of age-related declines for the 6MW, BBS, TUG, CGS, and FGS for both male and female subjects. Preliminary descriptive data suggest that physical therapists should use age-related data when interpreting patient data obtained for the 6MW, BBS, TUG, CGS and FGS. Further data on these clinical tests with larger sample sizes are needed to serve as a reference for patient comparisons.
ISSN:0031-9023
1538-6724
DOI:10.1093/ptj/82.2.128