1000 Norms Project: protocol of a cross-sectional study cataloging human variation.
BACKGROUND
Clinical decision-making regarding diagnosis and management largely depends on comparison with healthy or 'normal' values. Physiotherapists and researchers therefore need access to robust patient-centred outcome measures and appropriate reference values. However there is a lack of high-quality reference data for many clinical measures. The aim of the 1000 Norms Project is to generate a freely accessible database of musculoskeletal and neurological reference values representative of the healthy population across the lifespan.


METHODS
In 2012 the 1000 Norms Project Consortium defined the concept of 'normal', established a sampling strategy and selected measures based on clinical significance, psychometric properties and the need for reference data. Musculoskeletal and neurological items tapping the constructs of dexterity, balance, ambulation, joint range of motion, strength and power, endurance and motor planning will be collected in this cross-sectional study. Standardised questionnaires will evaluate quality of life, physical activity, and musculoskeletal health. Saliva DNA will be analysed for the ACTN3 genotype ('gene for speed'). A volunteer cohort of 1000 participants aged 3 to 100 years will be recruited according to a set of self-reported health criteria. Descriptive statistics will be generated, creating tables of mean values and standard deviations stratified for age and gender. Quantile regression equations will be used to generate age charts and age-specific centile values.


CONCLUSIONS
This project will be a powerful resource to assist physiotherapists and clinicians across all areas of healthcare to diagnose pathology, track disease progression and evaluate treatment response. This reference dataset will also contribute to the development of robust patient-centred clinical trial outcome measures.
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: marnee.mckay@sydney.edu.au.
Marnee J
MJ
McKay
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jbal2575@uni.sydney.edu.au.
Jennifer N
JN
Baldwin
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: paulo.ferreira@sydney.edu.au.
Paulo
P
Ferreira
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: milena.simic@sydney.edu.au.
Milena
M
Simic
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: natalie.vanicek@sydney.edu.au.
Natalie
N
Vanicek
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: claire.hiller@sydney.edu.au.
Claire E
CE
Hiller
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jean.nightingale@sydney.edu.au.
Elizabeth J
EJ
Nightingale
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: niamh.maloney@mq.edu.au.
Niamh A
NA
Moloney
Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: kate.qunilan@sydney.edu.au.
Kate G
KG
Quinlan
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: f.pourkazemi@uws.edu.au.
Fereshteh
F
Pourkazemi
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Electronic address: amy.sman@sydney.edu.au.
Amy D
AD
Sman
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: leslie.nicholson@uni.sydney.edu.au.
Leslie L
LL
Nicholson
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: seyed.mousavi@sydney.edu.au.
Seyed J
SJ
Mousavi
Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
Kristy
K
Rose
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jacqui.raymond@sydney.edu.au.
Jacqueline
J
Raymond
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: martin.mackey@sydney.edu.au.
Martin G
MG
Mackey
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia.
Angus
A
Chard
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia.
Markus
M
Hübscher
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia.
Caleb
C
Wegener
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: alicia.fongyan@sydney.edu.au.
Alycia
A
Fong Yan
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: kathryn.refshauge@sydney.edu.au.
Kathryn M
KM
Refshauge
Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: joshua.burns@health.nsw.gov.au.
Joshua
J
Burns
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D053580:Muscle Strength; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain; D011594:Psychometrics; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012016:Reference Values; D020377:Self Efficacy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards*; D014938:Work Capacity Evaluation; D055815:Young Adult
Healthy; Lifespan; Physical assessment; Reference values