抄録
[Purpose]Physical Performance Test (PPT) is a performance-based measurement that correlates well with degree of disability, loss of independence, and early mortality. However, it has not been introduced in Japan. The purpose of the present study was to assess the reliability and validity of PPT for the Japanese elderly people.[Method]Thirty-nine Japanese elderly community- dwellers with a mean age of 82.5 participated in this study. To retain the assessment strategy of PPT and at the same time cross the cultural differences of PPT for the Japanese people, we revised some parts of the original version of the PPT. Barthel Index (BI), Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology of Index of Competence (TMIG-index of competence), Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE) and Japanese-version PPT (JPPT) were simultaneously conducted. Test-retest and interrater reliability were assessed for JPPT. [Results]Intraclass correlation coefficient(ICC) for interrater reliability of JPPT was greater than 0.95. ICC of each items for test-retest reliability were 0.85 and above. Comparing JPPT with TMIG-index of competence and BI were significantly correlated (r=0.667 and r=0.581 at p<0.01, respectively)but less significantly with MMSE (r = 0.319 p<0.05).[Discussion]These results indicate that after a 2-hour training course for verbal instruction, demonstration, administration and scoring of the JPPT,unskilled examiners can reliably replicate their own and the experience physical therapist's assessment of the JPPT to the Japanese elderly. The strong correlation of the JPPT with the more complicated level of functional measurement of TMIG-index of competence (as compared to the basic activities of the BI)indicated that JPPT may be measuring higher levels of physical function.[Conclusions]JPPT has good to high degree of reliability and validity, which reflects the physical, the mental and the social functional domain, and appears acceptable and meaningful to examiners and Japanese elderly people.
