Citation

Hoshi M, Hozawa A, Kuriyama S, Nakaya N, Ohmori-Matsuda K, Sone T, Kakizaki M, Niu K, Fujita K, Ueki S, Haga H, Nagatomi R, Tsuji I. Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 2012; 24(4): 345-353.

Affiliation

Division of Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Forensic Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.3275/8104

PMID

22102425

Abstract

Background and Aims: To compare the predictive power of physical function assessed by questionnaire and physical performance measures for subsequent disability in community-dwelling elderly persons. Methods: Prospective cohort study. Setting was elderly Japanese residing in the community, included in the Tsurugaya Project. We analyzed 813 participants, aged 70 years and older, who were not disabled at the baseline in 2003. Physical function was assessed by questionnaire, the "Motor Fitness Scale". Physical performance measures consisted of maximum walking velocity, the timed up and go test (TUG), leg extension power, and the functional reach test. Area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curve for disability was used to compare the screening accuracy between the Motor Fitness Scale and the physical performance measures. Incident disability defined as certification for long-term care insurance was used as the endpoint. Results: We observed 135 cases of incident disability during follow-up. The third or fourth quartile for each measure was associated with a significantly increased risk of disability in comparison with the highest score quartile. AUC was 0.70, 0.72, 0.70, 0.68, 0.69 and 0.74, for the Motor Fitness Scale, maximum walking velocity, TUG, leg extension power, the functional reach test, and the total performance score, respectively. Conclusions: The predictive power of physical function assessed using the Motor Fitness Scale was equivalent to that assessed using the physical performance measures. Because the Motor Fitness Scale can evaluate physical function safely and simply in comparison with physical performance tests, it would be a practical tool for screening persons at high risk of disability.

Language: en