title: Modification of the functional reach test: analysis of lateral and anterior functional reach in community-dwelling older people.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the validity and reproducibility of the modified lateral functional reach (FR), and to examine the associations between a variety of functional variables and the FR in community-dwelling older people (>65 years of age). A total of 383 aged Japanese participated in this study at the rural district Kahoku, Kochi, Japan, in 2002. The average age of the subjects was 78.6 years. The activity of daily living (ADL) and mental status were measured as outcomes. FR (anterior and lateral) and timed up and go (TUG) were measured as predictors. The test-retest reliability of lateral FR between the first and second measurement was very consistent. Subjects with greater lateral FR had higher basic and instrumental ADL (IADL) scores than did those with shorter lateral FR. However, there was no significant relationship between anterior FR and ADLs. The lateral FR of participants with depression was shorter than in those without depression, while the anterior FR did not correlate with the participants' scores on the geriatric depression scale (GDS). Lateral FR should be considered as a new, alternative means of assessing geriatric social activity and mental status in the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Kochi Medical School, Kochi University, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8505, Japan. takahast@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.forename: Haruyasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Takata
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishinaga
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires