Correlates of Mobility in Very Old Adults

Identification of assessments that reflect unique physical capacities in older adults would allow clinicians to optimize efficiency. This study sought to determine associations between clinical tests of mobility (i.e., casual walking velocity (CWV), maximal walking velocity (MWV), timed-up and go (TUG)) and muscular performance (i.e., handgrip strength, chair rise). Thirty-three (20 females) healthy, very old senior living community residents (age = 81.64 yrs ± 5.65 yrs; BMI = 27.39 ± 5.06 yrs) completed a single battery comprising mobility tests (i.e., CWV, MWV, TUG) and muscular performance assessments (i.e., handgrip strength, chair rise). The 5-chair rise (r = 0.73; p\u3c0.001) exhibited a slightly stronger association than 30 sec chair rise test (r = –0.67; p\u3c0.001) with TUG performance. Similarly, 5-chair rise and 30 sec chair rise demonstrated very small differences in their correlation with CWV (r = –0.50; p=0.003 and r = 0.55; p\u3c0.01, respectively) and MWV (r = –0.57; p \u3c 0.001 and r = 0.60; p\u3c0.001, respectively). Handgrip strength failed to associate with any parameters of lower-body muscular performance (5-chair rise: r = –0.07; p=0.700; 30 sec chair rise: r = 0.01; p=0.924) or mobility (TUG: –0.323; p=0.67; CWV: r = 0.09; p=0.58; MWV: r = 0.25; p=0.153). The 5-chair rise and 30 second chair rise appear to be equally strong correlates of mobility, but handgrip strength is not associated with mobility. A practitioner might prefer the 5-chair rise test when doing a battery of tests due to its reduced time commitment and fatigue inducing effects