An instrumented sit-to-stand test used to examine differences between older fallers and non-fallers

An instrumented version of the five-times-sit-to-stand test was performed in the homes of a group of older adults, categorised as fallers or non-fallers. Tri-axial accelerometers were secured to the sternum and anterior thigh of each participant during the assessment. Accelerometer data were then used to examine the timing of the movement, as well as the root mean squared amplitude, jerk and spectral edge frequency of the mediolateral (ML) acceleration during the total assessment, each sit-stand-sit component and each postural transition (sit-stand and stand-sit). Differences between fallers and non-fallers were examined for each parameter. Six parameters significantly discriminated between fallers and non-fallers: sit-stand time, ML acceleration for the total assessment, and the ML spectral edge frequency for the complete assessment, individual sit-stand-sit components, as well as sit-stand and stand-sit transitions. These results suggest that each of these derived parameters would provide improved discrimination of fallers from non-fallers, for the cohort examined, than the standard clinical measure - the total time to complete the assessment. These results indicate that accelerometry may enhance the utility of the five-times-sit-to-stand test when assessing falls risk.