Assessment of inter-rater variability of the Senior Fitness Test in the geriatric population: A community based study

Abstract

Background: Maintenance of physical activity is of paramount importance in geriatric care and it is imperative to be able to objectively assess physical activity level in the geriatric population. However, majority of the established assessment protocols are designed for relatively younger adults, and are not validated for the elderly. The Senior Fitness Test (SFT) is aimed at assessing the underlying functional fitness for older adults. Methods: A community based prospective study to assess the test-retest reliability of SFT in elderly subjects, aged 65 – 75 years. Subjects with any acute illnesses, acute musculoskeletal injury, hypertension, and with visual problems hampering test performance were excluded. The study was conducted by two observers on two days at the subject’s own locality. The Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was used as a measure of relative reliability. The standard error of measurement and minimal detectable change (MDC) were used to measure absolute reliability. Results: Thirty one participants (mean age- 68.32±2.58 years) were assessed. The ICC reflected high reliability (0.934–0.994) in all SFT items. MDC values (90% CI) for various SFT were as follows: chair sit and reach test = 1.55, back scratch test = 1.41, 30 second chair stand test = 1.15, 30-second arm curl test = 2.53, 8 foot up-and-go test = 1.47 and 2-minute step test = 1.40. Bland–Altman plots for all the tests were positively skewed and heteroscedastic. Conclusion: The SFT showed high test–retest reliability and thus is suitable for evaluating physical fitness in elderly and can be utilized in larger studies for the geriatric population.