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Timed Up and Go: Reference Data for Children Who Are School Age.
Adina Itzkowitz1, Sandra Kaplan, Maura Doyle
1Physical Therapy Department (Ms Itzkowitz, Dr Doyle, Ms Weingarten, Mr Lieberstein, Mr Covino, Mr Vialu), New York City Department of Education, New York, New York; Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Sciences (Dr Kaplan), Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Newark, New Jersey.
This study collected Timed Up and Go (TUG) data from over 1400 children aged 5-13. Results provide normative TUG speed data to help identify children functioning slower than their peers.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric physical therapy
- Motor development research
- Biomedical data collection
Background:
- The Timed Up and Go (TUG) test is a common clinical tool.
- Normative data for TUG in school-aged children is limited.
- Understanding typical TUG performance is crucial for identifying developmental delays.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish normative data for the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.
- To analyze TUG performance in a large, diverse sample of typically developing school children.
- To account for variations in age, sex, and body mass index in TUG data.
Main Methods:
- Administered the TUG test at natural walking speeds to 1481 children aged 5-13 years.
- Included a diverse sample representing multiple racial and ethnic groups.
- Collected data by trained physical therapists.
Main Results:
- Average TUG times ranged from 6.20 to 7.12 seconds.
- TUG speed decreased from ages 5-9 years and increased from ages 9-13 years.
- Sex and age group differences were not clinically significant; BMI showed no consistent correlation.
Conclusions:
- This study provides valuable reference data for the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test in children.
- These normative data can aid clinicians in interpreting TUG results.
- The findings support using TUG data alongside clinical observations to assess a child's functional mobility compared to peers.
