The Multiple Tasks Test as a predictor of falls in older adults.
OBJECTIVE
Falls are among the most common and serious problems facing the elderly. The Berg Balance Scale (BBS) is the gold standard in measuring falls risk. With higher functioning elders, a ceiling effect is often evidenced using the BBS. The purpose of this study was to determine if the Multiple Tasks Test (MTT) when used in high functioning community dwelling elderly correlated with the BBS. Secondly, this study assessed the unidimensionality of the MTT. If a relationship existed between the performance of multiple tasks and the potential loss of balance resulting in falls, then the MTT would be more appropriate than the BBS at predicting falls in higher functioning individuals.


METHODS
Twenty-two independent community dwelling older adults were tested using both the MTT and the BBS on the same day at a senior center.


METHODS
Correlations between the BBS and the MTT ranged between -0.765 and -0.79. The results of the Guttman's scalability analysis were a plus percentage ratio of 0.75 and an index of reproducibility of 0.93. Scales with these values are regarded as having evidence of unidimensionality.


CONCLUSIONS
All of the MTT tests correlated with the BBS. In addition, the MTT was found to be unidimensional.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the MTT correlated with the BBS and was found to be a good cumulative measure, it would benefit from continued study to examine quantifiability, validity and reliability. With further refinement and study, the MTT may be useful at discriminating fallers from non-fallers in high functioning older adults.
Southard
Veronica
V
New York Institute of Technology, Building 500, Room 501, Old Westbury, NY 11568, USA. vsouthar@nyit.edu
Dave
Manisha
M
Davis
Melanie Geiger
MG
Blanco
Janine
J
Hofferber
Alison
A
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D018570:Risk Assessment