Validity of 3 physical performance measures in inpatient geriatric rehabilitation.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the construct validity and the responsiveness of 3 measures of physical performance measures as outcome measures for frail older persons.


METHODS
Pre-post design with measures at admission and discharge.


METHODS
Three inpatient geriatric rehabilitation programs.


METHODS
Fifty-two subjects (35 women, 17 men; age, 80+/-8y).


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Physical performance measures were Timed Up & Go (TUG) test, two-minute walk test (2MWT), and functional reach. Functional status was measured with the FIM instrument and the Modified Barthel Index.


RESULTS
The TUG and 2MWT scores differed significantly in groups of patients using different ambulatory aids (P=.006), whereas no such difference was observed for the functional reach (P=.40). The correlations between the TUG test and FIM and between the 2MWT and FIM were -.59 and .59 (P<.001), respectively, at admission, and -.42 and .47 (P< or =.04), respectively, at admission and discharge. The correlations between functional reach and the FIM were not significant (P> or =.09). Standardized response means were 1.1 for the TUG, 0.7 for the 2MWT, and 0.5 for functional reach.


CONCLUSIONS
The TUG test and 2MWT are valid and responsive outcome measures in older persons participating in geriatric rehabilitation. Functional reach was a moderately responsive outcome measure but did not consistently reflect ambulatory or functional status.
Brooks
Dina
D
Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. dina.brooks@utoronto.ca
Davis
Aileen M
AM
Naglie
Gary
G
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D011336:Probability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012047:Rehabilitation Centers; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*