VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF THE PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE TEST IN GREEK OLDER ADULTS

Vasilios I. Kalapotharakos, Vasiliki Stamou, Konstantinos Gkionis, Panagiotis Vanos, Panagiotis Papadopoulos-Manolarakis, Konstantinos Karteroliotis

Abstract


The aim of this research was to examine the validity and reliability of the Physical Performance Test (PPT) in elderly men, members of the Open Care Centers for the Elderly (KAPI) in Western Athens. A total of 154 men, aged 65-89 years (age 75.94 + 5.73 years, body weight 80.01 + 10.94 kg, height 1.68 + 0.06 m), participated in the study. Participants completed questionnaires assessing cognitive status, depression, and functional abilities. Subsequently, they performed two functional performance tests, the PPT and the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Repeat measurements of the PPT were conducted after 15 days on 40 randomly selected individuals to assess reliability. The concurrent validity of the PPT was examined using two criteria: the functional status questionnaire and the TUG test, showing correlations of -.584 (p<0.001) and -.757 (p<0.001), respectively. The PPT demonstrated structural validity, as statistically significant differences in performance were observed between functionally independent and dependent individuals in the functional status questionnaire. The internal consistency reliability of the PPT was satisfactory (Cronbach's alpha = .7669), and test-retest reliability was high (r=.95, p<0.001). Low to moderate correlations were observed between PPT scores and age, number of chronic diseases, cognitive function, depression, and falls. Conclusively, the PPT is a valid and reliable functional performance test, useful for assessing the functional ability of elderly individuals.

 

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejpe.v12i7.6099

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