Participants' Perceptions and the Implementation of a Physical Fitness Screen for Aging Adults

Physical therapists have been called upon to conduct annual screens focused on optimizing movement and slowing the progression of impairments in body functions. Screens are thought to be important, especially in an aging population, but there are limited data on participants' impression of screening and their implementation into practice. The first objective of this study was to examine aging adults' perception of a physical therapist-led physical fitness screening tool, the Adult Functional Independence Test (A-Fit). The A-Fit is a comprehensive screen that includes tests of posture, flexibility, balance, mobility, endurance, and strength for those aged 50 years and older. The second objective was to examine the practicality and implementation of the A-Fit, taking into consideration time requirements and the ability of the test components to identify deficits.

This was a cohort study using a convenience sample of 37 participants (26/11 females/males, mean age = 59.6 years). A physical therapist performed the A-Fit to assess participants' physical fitness and then developed a physical activity plan to address the participants' deficits and goals. Performance on the A-Fit, the relationship between the components of the A-Fit, and time to complete the A-Fit were examined. One week after the session, participants' perceptions of the A-Fit and the overall session were assessed by survey.

Participants strongly agreed that the screen was beneficial, useful, and worth their time. Fifty-eight percent of participants would repeat the A-Fit annually and 42% would pay for this service. Seventy-four percent reported that they would pay between $1 and $100. The average session length was 75 (SD = 13.4) minutes. On average, participants had 5.2 (SD = 3) deficits in physical fitness. Deficits in upper body strength and balance were the most frequent areas of deficits. Only single leg stance balance and ankle strength were highly correlated indicating that most of the A-Fit components were measuring different aspects of fitness.

The A-Fit could be a feasible screening tool for physical therapists to implement in the clinical setting and have value in identifying aging adults with declines in physical fitness and those who would benefit from further interventions.