Reliability and minimal detectable change values for performance-based measures of physical functioning in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
Abstract BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine the relative and absolute reliabilities of five key performance-based measures of physical function in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA). METHODS An age-stratified sub-sample of 147 participants from the CLSA who were undergoing their 3-year data collection visit participated in two repeat visits (within one week). Participants underwent tests of grip strength, 4-metre gait speed, Timed Up and Go (TUG), chair-rise and single-leg stance (left, right, mean, maximum). Intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC) values were calculated. RESULTS The relative reliability for grip strength was excellent (ICC = 0.95); the TUG and single-leg stance tests had good reliability (ICC = 0.80 or 0.78-0.82, respectively); gait speed and the chair-rise test had moderate reliability (ICC=0.64 for both) for participants overall. For participants between 50 and 64 years, TUG and gait speed had poor reliabilities (ICC = 0.38 or 0.33, respectively). For participants aged 75+ years, the single-leg stance had poor reliability (ICC=0.30-0.39). The MDC90 was about 6 kg for grip strength, 2.3 seconds for TUG, 0.2 metres/second for gait speed, 5.2 seconds for chair-rise, and ranged from 22.8 to 26.2 seconds for the single-leg stance. CONCLUSIONS Among community-dwelling Canadians >50 years old, the reliabilities of the CLSA measures were moderate to excellent. The TUG and gait speed in the youngest age group, and the single-leg stance in oldest age group, showed poor reliability. MDC values can be used to interpret changes over time.