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Accuracy of Self-Reported Physical Capacities as a Clinical Screening Test for Older Adults With Mobility Disability
Christopher N Sciamanna1, Kent A Lemaster1, Margaret K Danilovich2
1Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, USA.
Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine
|April 28, 2023
Summary
Simple self-reported physical capacity questions accurately screen older adults for physical limitations. These practical tools can help identify individuals at risk for losing independence, aiding early intervention in healthcare settings.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Identifying older adults at risk of losing independence is crucial.
- Clinically feasible screening tools for poor physical performance are needed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the diagnostic utility of self-reported physical capacities in older adults.
- To compare self-reported measures against the objectively measured Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB).
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study.
- Assessed self-reported walking and stair-climbing abilities.
- Calculated sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratios (LR) against SPPB cut-points.
Main Results:
- Self-reported measures showed high specificity (average 0.97) and clinically applicable LRs (average 20.0) for detecting low SPPB scores.
- Sensitivity averaged 0.39, indicating moderate ability to detect limitations.
- All measures maintained clinically relevant LRs across subgroups.
Conclusions:
- Single-item self-reported physical capacities are accurate screening tools for older adults.
- These measures can effectively identify individuals with physical limitations.
- Self-reported capacities show potential utility in clinical healthcare settings for early screening.
