Normative physical fitness scores for community-dwelling older adults

This study was designed to construct normative physical fitness scores for older, functionally independent adults living in the community. The Physical Activities Readiness Questionnaire and Barthel Index were initialized to screen those who have heart illness, arthritis, and functional dependence. After providing informed consent, each participant was instructed to perform seven tests in five categories, including body mass index, muscle strength/endurance (grasp test and 30-s chair stand test), balance (open-eye stand on right foot), flexibility (chair sit-and-reach test), and aerobic endurance (2- and 3-min step tests with preset cadence). Twenty-two assessors were recruited and trained by a physical fitness instructor to ensure acceptable interrater reliability. The valid sample size was 1,104. Test performances were significantly different for male and female participants for all test categories, with the exception of aerobic endurance. Mean scores of all tests correlated negatively with age. The authors constructed the percentile distributions for the seven fitness tests for both genders. Results are expected to be helpful in assessing physical fitness and evaluating physical activity in older adults.