An examination of the intra-rater reliability of the Y Balance test for high school female athletes

Abstract

[Purpose] The Y Balance test is a dynamic balance assessment tool widely used in sports. Although its reliability has been established in professional male athletes, its suitability for female high-school athletes remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the reliability of the Y Balance test in this population. [Participants and Methods] Thirty-one female high school students underwent five Y Balance test measurements in each direction for both the right and left lower extremities. Intraclass correlation coefficients and one-way analysis of variance were used to assess intra-rater reliability. [Results] The intra-rater reliability for the five assessments ranged from 0.83 to 0.96, indicating high reliability. The first and second measurements were lower than the third and subsequent measurements, and the third to the fifth measurements, excluding that of the posterolateral right leg, showed no significant differences. [Conclusion] Altogether, the Y Balance test is a highly reliable, dynamic balance assessment tool for female high-school athletes. Furthermore, This study further indicates that high reliability is consistently achieved from the third to the fifth measurement, with the exception of the posterolateral direction on the right leg.