Stand-up test overestimates the decline of locomotor function in taller people: a cross-sectional analysis of data from the Kameda Health Study.
Rumi Miyamoto, Susumu S Sawada, Yuko Gando and 6 others
PMID 30858659WHAT IT FOUND
Taller people are more likely to be rated as having early locomotor decline on the stand-up test, even after accounting for age, weight and waist size.
The two-step test does not show this height effect.
Key findings
01In the stand-up test, taller participants were more likely to be rated Locomo level 1; the tallest height quartile had multivariable-adjusted odds ratios of 10.86 in males and 9.09 in females.
02For the two-step test, height was not clearly associated with Locomo level 1 in males after adjustment, while taller females remained less likely to be rated Locomo level 1.
03In the stand-up test, body weight and BMI showed negative associations with Locomo level 1 after adjustment for height or waist circumference, while waist circumference remained positively associated.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The sample was drawn from people attending a comprehensive health check-up, so they may be more health-conscious than the general population. The age range was 23 to 89, and the paper says the age distribution was limited, so it is unclear whether the same height effect would appear in very old or very young people. Muscle mass was not measured, so the study cannot separate true lower-limb weakness from body proportions. Very few participants were rated Locomo level 2, so the highest risk category is not well described.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest. The supplied text does not state a funding source.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a taller patient's stand-up test result shows a larger true decline in locomotor function. Taller people were more likely to be rated Locomo level 1 on the stand-up test even after adjustment, while the two-step test did not show the same height pattern.