Health-related physical fitness measures: reference values and reference equations for use in clinical practice

Abstract

Objective: To provide reference values and reference equations for frequently used clinical field tests of health-related physical fitness for use in clinical practice.

Design: Cross-sectional design.

Setting: General community.

Participants: Convenience sample of volunteers (N=370) between 18 and 90 years of age were recruited from a wide range of settings (ie, work sites, schools, community centers for older adults) and different geographic locations (ie, urban, suburban, rural) in southeastern Norway.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Main outcome measures: The participants conducted 5 clinical field tests (6-minute walk test, stair test, 30-second sit-to-stand test, handgrip test, fingertip-to-floor test).

Results: The results of the field tests showed that performance remained unchanged until approximately 50 years of age; after that, performance deteriorated with increasing age. Grip strength (79%), meters walked in 6 minutes (60%), and seconds used on the stair test (59%) could be well predicted by age, sex, height, and weight in participants ≥50 years of age, whereas the performance on all tests was less well predicted in participants <50 years of age.

Conclusions: The reference values and reference equations provided in this study may increase the applicability and interpretability of the 6-minute walk test, stair test, 30-second sit-to-stand test, handgrip test, and fingertip-to-floor test in clinical practice.

Keywords: Methods; Physical therapists; Reference values; Rehabilitation.