高齢者の日常生活動作能力を評価する片脚前ステップテストの有効性

抄録

　This study examined the diagnostic usefulness of Single leg Forward Step test (SFS test) based on ADL (Activities of Daily Living) ability. The subjects, 97 elderly women, repeated the following movement for 10 minutes: first, step forward with their preferred foot over a 25-cm line, then return their leg to its original position while matching the beeps of a metronome (120bpm). The time difference between the metronome sound and the time when the subject’s foot hits the ground was used as an evaluation parameter. A 10-m maximal gait test was measured for comparison. Based on the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology’s 23-point ADL questionnaire, the subjects were classified into a low activity (LA) group and a non-low activity (NLA) group. The SFS test’s the area under ROC curve (0.83) was higher than the 10m gait time’s the area under ROC curve (0.78), thus the SFS test was judged to be more useful. Since the SFS’s movement involved putting one leg forward and returning it to the original position while supporting the body with a single leg, the elderly women who have inferior balance and leg strength might find the SFS test difficult. In conclusion, the present SFS test could be effective as an index in evaluating the elderly’s ADL ability.