Adding challenge to performance-based tests of walking: The Walking InCHIANTI Toolkit (WIT).
OBJECTIVE
In this report, we provide a detailed description of and reproducibility data on the 14 performance-based tests of lower limb function included in the Walking InCHIANTI Toolkit, which were designed to mimic challenging situations that are encountered while walking in daily life.


METHODS
Five women and five men were randomly selected from each of the age strata, 65-74, 75-84, and > or =85 yrs, among those who received a functional evaluation in the Greve site at the second InCHIANTI study follow-up (total n = 30). Walking tests were administered twice at 2-wk intervals. Analyses were aimed at assessing reproducibility of the Walking InCHIANTI Toolkit components and the existence of a learning effect.


RESULTS
Performance remained stable for eight walking tests and slightly but significantly improved for the 25-cm narrow-path walk, 7-m usual-pace, 7-m obstacle normal light, 7-m holding a package, and 7-m talking while walking tests. Test-retest reliability was in general very high, with 11 of 14 (79%) of the intraclass correlation coefficient values >0.80 and all except one (7-m holding a package) >0.75.


CONCLUSIONS
The walking tests included in the Walking InCHIANTI Toolkit show very good medium-term reproducibility and modest learning effect. Administering components of the Walking InCHIANTI Toolkit may help in the understanding of the effect of challenges encountered in daily life on walking performance.
Bandinelli
Stefania
S
Geriatric Rehabilitation Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Firenze (ASF), Florence, Italy.
Pozzi
Martina
M
Lauretani
Fulvio
F
Phillips
Caroline
C
Shumway-Cook
Anne
A
Guralnik
Jack M
JM
Ferrucci
Luigi
L
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D016138:Walking