A new two square agility test for workplace health-reliability, validity and minimal detectable change

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Kinesiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Workplace wellness programs can benefit from functional mobility screening.
• Reducing musculoskeletal risks is a key goal for employee health.
• The Two Square Agility Test (TSAT) is a novel measure for functional mobility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reliability and validity of the Two Square Agility Test (TSAT).
• To determine the minimal detectable change (MDC95) for the TSAT.
• To assess the TSAT's potential as a functional mobility measure in workplace health.

Main Methods:

• Two hundred forty-eight non-disabled participants (ages 18-69) completed the TSAT.
• Intra-rater reliability and test-retest reliability were assessed.
• Concurrent validity was examined against Timed Up and Go, Five Times Sit to Stand, and Maximum Step Length.

Main Results:

• Excellent intra-rater reliability (ICC=0.94) and good test-retest reliability (ICC=0.87).
• Moderate correlations found with other functional mobility tests, supporting concurrent validity.
• The minimal detectable change (MDC95) was determined to be 1.37 seconds.

Conclusions:

• The Two Square Agility Test (TSAT) demonstrates strong reliability and validity.
• TSAT is a promising tool for functional mobility assessment in workplace settings.
• This measure can aid in promoting physical activity and mitigating musculoskeletal risks.