Validation of lower extremity performance tests for determining the mobility limitation levels in community-dwelling older women.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of mobility status among community-dwelling older people is important for preventing further deterioration of mobility and identifying changes in mobility as early as possible. We attempted to identify the optimal cut-off values for eight lower extremity performance (LEP) tests in community-dwelling older women with mobility limitation (ML) levels.


METHODS
The ML levels of 433 community-dwelling older women, mean age 73.2 years (SD 5.7, range 65-93) were classified according to selfreports. ML levels were identified by face-to-face interviews and according to self-reported difficulty in walking one-quarter of a mile or climbing 10 steps without resting. The LEP tests comprised one-legged stance, tandem stance, functional reach, tandem walk, alternate step, five chair sit-to-stands, timed up-and-go (TUG) and usual gait speed. Receiver-operating characteristic curves were obtained for all scales to assess optimal cut-off values.


RESULTS
The optimal cut-off value of 6.52 (s) for the TUG test was shown by the highest sensitivity (74%) and specificity (71%) in the discrimination of no ML from moderate ML, whereas the optimal cut-off value of 1.05 (m/s) in the usual gait speed test showed the highest sensitivity (73%) and specificity (67%) in the discrimination of moderate ML from severe ML.


CONCLUSIONS
Among community-dwelling older women, TUG and usual gait speed had the highest sensitivity and specificity in discriminating ML levels.
Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan.
Mi-Ji
MJ
Kim
Satoshi
S
Seino
Maeng-Kyu
MK
Kim
Noriko
N
Yabushita
Tomohiro
T
Okura
Junko
J
Okuno
Kiyoji
K
Tanaka
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology