Reference Values for 3-Meter Backward Walk Test among Apparently Healthy Adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Biometrics

Background:

• The 3-meter backward walk (3MBW) test assesses mobility, balance, and fall risk.
• Establishing normative data for 3MBW is essential for its clinical application as a rehabilitation target or outcome predictor.
• Current literature lacks comprehensive gender- and age-specific baseline values for the 3MBW test.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine gender- and age-specific reference values for the 3-meter backward walk (3MBW) test in healthy Nigerian adults.
• To investigate the correlation between 3MBW performance and sociodemographic and anthropometric variables.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1,601 healthy Nigerian adults.
• Standardized measurement of the 3-meter backward walk (3MBW) on a marked floor.
• Collection of anthropometric (e.g., weight, height, BMI) and sociodemographic data.

Main Results:

• Reference values for low, average, and high fall risk were established for males and females based on 3MBW completion time.
• 3MBW performance was significantly associated with age (r=0.51) and sex (r=0.315), with older individuals and males taking longer.
• Significant correlations were also found with weight (r=0.14) and BMI (r=0.28), but not height (r=-0.03).

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first gender- and age-stratified reference values for the 3-meter backward walk (3MBW) test in healthy adults.
• Backward walking mobility, as measured by 3MBW, is influenced by age and sex, with performance declining with increasing age and being slower in males compared to females.
• These normative data are valuable for clinical assessment, rehabilitation goal setting, and predicting outcomes related to mobility and fall risk.