Abstract
Objectives: This study aims to assess the validity, internal consistency, implementation, and feasibility of a sequence of tests, the Vitality Test Battery, designed to measure physical fitness, at a large scale in French older adults.Methods: A total of 528 volunteers (age ≥60 years) took the battery of 10 tests: 6-min walk, trunk strength, hand grip strength, medicine ball throwing, 30-s chair stand, flexibility, balance, plate tapping, ruler drop, and dual task.Results: Internal consistency was high, with the Cronbach alpha coefficients at around 0.77, explaining 64% of the variance. The test–retest correlations (0.3–0.6) between the items were acceptable and displayed an internal consistency property. Although five components explained 65% of the variance, all the items were kept because their eigenvalues were near to 0.9. External consistency was validated by a significant decrease in fitness scores (p < 0.001) with age and body mass index.Discussion: The Vitality Test Battery is a safe, valid tool for assessing physical fitness in persons aged over 60 years.
Highlights
The proportion of older people is increasing worldwide
The present findings suggest that the Vitality Test Battery is a valid tool for measuring physical fitness in seniors
The present findings support the use of the Vitality Test Battery to assess fitness in a group of people in a short time and show that this test battery can assess the performance and the functional capacity of persons according to their Body mass index (BMI) and age
Summary
The proportion of older people is increasing worldwide. In 2013, 23.8% of the French adult population were of age 60 years or older, and by 2070, this proportion could reach 34.5% [1]. Aging populations present economic and societal challenges [2, 3]. Among these, maintaining good levels of physical fitness in the older population helps preserve autonomy and functional abilities [4, 5]. Physical fitness improves healthy aging [6, 7] and helps in successful aging [7, 8]. Physical activity decreases with age in both men and women, adversely affecting their physical fitness through diminished muscle strength and endurance and changes in body composition [9]
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