Use of the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test for examination risk of falls for elderly people

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Use of the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test for examination risk of falls for elderly people

Journal Title: Antropomotoryka. Journal of Kinesiology and Exercise Sciences - Year 2008, Vol 18, Issue 44

Abstract

[b]Introductio[/b]n. Problems of elderly people have a lot of interest from several disciplines of science due to the progress of aging society syndromes. Slow gradual increase of the average human lifespan allows presupposing that nearest future will bring increase of senior’s population. At the end of 2000 the percentage of 65-year-olds and older citizens was 12.3%; five years later (2005) it was 13.38% of the population of Poles as a whole. According to demographic prognosis of GUS this rate is going to rise up to 31.6% by the end of 2050. That information shows the importance of doing research on this field, such as checking physical efficiency of seniors. The Fullerton Functional Fitness Test, developed by Rikli and Jones, is one of the best tools for estimating a large number of aspect of senior’s physical efficiency and fitness. The other test, which may be useful only when examining the risk of fall, is Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (Tinetti test).[b]The aim of the work[/b]. To examine the conformity of the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test and Performance- Oriented Mobility Assessment as the tools for estimating of the risk of fall in the group of seniors.[b]Material and methods[/b]. The research group consists of 64 women at the age of 65–98, habitants of the DDPS in Poznań. Arithmetic mean of that group was 76,8. The participants were examined with the help of the Fullerton Functional. The second method was Tinetti test (POMA), useful to estimate risk of falling of elderly people. First method consists of several elements, which are important when estimating the aspects of comprehensive fitness. One of them, “8-foot up-and-go test”, is helpful to measure complex coordination of movements. Since the construction of this test is similar to another “up-and-go” test, used to estimate fall risk, it needed comparing and assessing whether it might be regarded as a reliable source of estimating fall risk in the group of seniors. The researchers proved strong statistical dependence between this test and POMA, and, as a result, the possibility to compare the measurements with the use of correlation between these two elements. The Fullerton Functional Test was compared to Tinetti test with the help of Pearson’s Correlation.[b]Results[/b]. There is a very strong statistical dependence between POMA and the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test. There was made a scale for these two tests, after that both tests were compared and finally a fifth-gradual scale of risk falls for people examined with the help of the FFFT was constructed.[b]Conclusions[/b]. (1) It is possible to use „8-foot up-and-go” trial as a rate for estimation of risk of fall of the 65-year-old and older women, with no need to use other tests, such as POMA. (2) It is crucial to do complex reexamination after five years. Among the participants, there should be retired women and men. The re-examination may give the researchers a unique chance to determine in details the progression of risk of fall.

Authors and Affiliations

Jaremi Grześkowiak, Dariusz Wieliński

Keywords

EP ID EP60491
DOI -
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