BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 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.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: 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.
Authors: Leland E Dibble; James T Cavanaugh; Gammon M Earhart; Terry D Ellis; Matthew P Ford; Kenneth B Foreman Journal: BMC Neurol Date: 2010-11-03 Impact factor: 2.474