Reliability and responsiveness of two physical performance measures examined in the context of a functional training intervention.
OBJECTIVE
The reliability and responsiveness of 2 physical performance measures were assessed in this nonrandomized, controlled pilot exercise intervention.


METHODS
Forty-five older individuals with mobility impairment (mean age=77.9 years, SD=5.9, range=70-92) were sequentially assigned to participate in an exercise program (intervention group) or to a control group.


METHODS
The intervention group performed exercise 3 times a week for 12 weeks that targeted muscle force, endurance, balance, and flexibility. Outcome measures were the 8-item Physical Performance Test (PPT-8) and the 6-minute walk test. Test-retest reliability and responsiveness indexes were determined for both tests; interrater reliability was measured for the PPT-8.


RESULTS
The intraclass correlation coefficient for interrater reliability for the PPT-8 was. 96. Intraclass correlation coefficients for test-retest reliability were.88 for the PPT-8 and.93 for the 6-minute walk test. The intervention group improved 2.4 points and the control group improved 0.7 point on the PPT-8, as compared with baseline measurements. There was no change in 6-minute walk test distance in the intervention group when compared with the control group. The responsiveness index was.8 for the PPT-8 and.6 for the 6-minute walk test.


CONCLUSIONS
Measurements for both the PPT-8 and the 6-minute walk test appeared to be highly reliable. The PPT-8 was more responsive than the 6-minute walk test to change in performance expected with this functional training intervention.
King
M B
MB
Hartford Hospital Geriatric Program, Burlingame Bldg, 2nd Floor, 400 Washington St, Hartford, CT 06106, USA. mking@nso.uchc.edu.
Judge
J O
JO
Whipple
R
R
Wolfson
L
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D010809:Physical Fitness; D026741:Physical Therapy Modalities / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012044:Regression Analysis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016896:Treatment Outcome