Abstract
Objective: We verified the reliability and validity of a functional reach test with eyes closed (EC-FRT). Subjects: This study enrolled 36 local elderly individuals (mean age:78.9±4.6 years). Methods: An intraclass correlation coefficient ICC (1, 1), as determined from the reproducibility of the EC-FRT, and Bland-Altman analysis were used to investigate the reliability. Additionally, a Pearsonʼs correlation coefficient, as determined from the association with each physical function, was used to investigate the validity. Results:The ICC of the EC-FRT was high (0.89 [0.790.94]). The results of the Bland-Altman analysis revealed neither fixed nor proportional bias. We confirmed that, if thedifferenceinthe EC-FRT values is less than 2.3 cm, it means a measurement error. We observed a significant correlation between the EC-FRT values and one-leg standing times. Conclusion: The EC-FRT was suggested to be applicable as a measure of the balance performance of local elderly individuals.
