Referent Values for Commonly Used Clinical Mobility Tests in Black and White Adults Aged 50-95 Years

To estimate referent values for performance on clinical mobility tests conducted amongst racially diverse adults aged 50-95 years in the Southeast US.

This is an observational study of community-dwelling older adults from diverse racial groups who participated in observational and rehabilitative studies conducted from 2011-2019.

Rehabilitation clinics around the greater metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia, region.

A total of 314 adults (N=314; 222 women). Individuals were predominantly Black (n=121) or White (n=164), with some participants from other racial groups (n=29).

Clinical and demographic data were collected at individual visits for each participant.

Four Square Step Test (FSST), timed Up and Go (TUG) test, dual TUG test, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), 30-second chair stand, and gait speed were all used as assessments in each cohort.

Performance slowly declines with increasing age, with a sharp drop in the ninth decade for preferred forward, backward, and fast gait speed; backward gait cadence; 6MWT, TUG test, dual-task TUG-Cognitive, and the 360° turn test. Declines were also seen in the eighth and ninth decades in the FSST. Among White participants, there were significant overall differences across age groups except in the assessment variable, preferred gait cadence. For Black individuals, there were significant overall differences across age groups for backward gait speed, fast gait speed, TUG-Cognitive, dual task, 6MWT, FSST, and 30-second chair stand.

These data enrich current referent values for brief, commonly used clinical tests in a diverse, older Southeast US cohort. These data include representatives of the oldest old cohort. This study will support race- and age-specific fall prevention and mobility-enhancing therapeutic application among older patients in clinical practice.