2000 Volume 45 Issue 2 Pages 225-238
Performance tests have the advantage of providing objective, quantifiable information on functional fitness in older adults. We had developed a functional fitness test (FFT) that assesses four domains (locomotion of the whole body, manipulation of the upper limb, manual dexterity, and change of posture) required for the performance of activities parallel to daily living (APDL). Seventeen items encompassing these four domains were administered to 213 older male adults aged 73.4±6.6 years. As the FFT needed to be sufficiently diverse to give a balanced picture of overall functional fitness, principal component analysis was applied to the correlation matrix. The test-retest reliability of each item was evaluated. Finally, the following 4 variables were selected for the assessment of FFT : repetitions of the bicipital flexion / extension (X_1), walking around two cones and sitting on a chair (X_2), moving beans with chopsticks (X_3), and reaching arms forward in a standing position (X_4). The principal component analysis was again applied to these four variables to derive the following equation of functional fitness age (FFA) based on the first principal component coefficient of each variable : FFA=-0.355X_1+0.361X_2-0.683X_3-0.315X_4+92.5. We then tested the cross-validity of the FFA equation using another 30 subjects (aged 74.0±6.2yr). The FFA (73.8±6.3yr) of this group was not significantly different from their chronological age. In conclusion, the proposed test battery could be an instrument for providing a comprehensive measure of functional fitness.
