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Reliability of the parallel walk test for the elderly.

Sally D Lark1, Peter W McCarthy, David A Rowe

  • 1Faculty of Health, Sport, and Science, Glamorgan University, Pontypridd, Wales. s.lark@massey.ac.nz

Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
|May 3, 2011
PubMed
Summary

The parallel walk test (PWT) shows high interrater reliability for measuring dynamic balance in elderly fallers. Test-retest reliability varied, suggesting narrower widths (20 and 30.5 cm) are best for future use.

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Area of Science:

  • Gerontology
  • Biomechanics
  • Clinical Assessment

Background:

  • Dynamic balance is crucial for gait in the elderly.
  • Falls in older adults are a significant public health concern.
  • Reliable assessment tools are needed to evaluate balance and prevent falls.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the interrater and test-retest reliability of the parallel walk test (PWT).
  • To evaluate the PWT as a method for measuring dynamic balance in elderly individuals.
  • To determine optimal parameters for PWT implementation in clinical settings.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study involving 34 elderly fallers (mean age 81.3 years) was conducted.
  • Participants performed the PWT at three different widths (20, 30.5, 38 cm), with foot placement and completion time recorded.

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  • Two raters assessed participants, with a subset retested after one week to determine reliability using Intraclass Correlation Coefficients (ICCs).

    • Main Results:

    • The PWT demonstrated excellent interrater reliability across all tested widths (ICC range: .93–.99).
    • Test-retest reliability showed moderate to good agreement (ICC range: .63–.90).
    • Higher reliability was observed at narrower widths (20 and 30.5 cm).

    Conclusions:

    • The parallel walk test is a reliable and easily implementable tool for assessing dynamic balance in the elderly.
    • Interrater reliability is high, but test-retest reliability may be affected by the variability in frail elderly individuals.
    • The 20-cm and 30.5-cm widths are recommended for future clinical application of the PWT.