Reliability of the Norwegian version of Timed Up and Go (TUG)

Aim: To test the intrarater-, interrater- and test-retest reliability of the Norwegian protocol of the «Timed Up and Go» (TUG). Design: Cross-sectional method study. Material and Method: Thirty persons (20 women and 10 men) 75 years or older (mean 82.5) completed TUG three times. To physiotherapists scored the participants. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was computed to express measurement variability relative to total variability, and within-subject standard deviation (Sw) calculated as an expression of absolute variability. Result: The mean times were from 18.1 to 20.2 seconds. Intrarater- and interrater reliability expressed as ICC(1,1) showed 0,99 for all the measurements. 1,96 Sw was from ±0,53 to ±0,57 seconds for intrarater reliability and ±0,3 seconds for interrater reliability. All ICC(1,1) values for the test-retest reliability was higher than 0,81. 1,96 Sw was between ±3.5 to ±4.4 seconds. When calculating the mean of two measurement, ICC(1,2) the reliability increased to over 0,90. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that TUG, on fragile elderly persons performed by experienced therapists, has high intrarater-, interrater- and test-retest reliability. We recommend that the mean of measurement two and three of the new Norwegian TUG version is used in the clinic