Reference values and validation of the 1-min sit-to-stand test in healthy 5- to 16-year-old youth
AbstractObjectivesIt is essential to have simple, reliable and valid tests to measure children’s functional capacity in schools or medical practice. The 1-min sit-to-stand test (STS) is a quick fitness test requiring little equipment or space that is increasingly used in both healthy populations and those with chronic disease. We aimed to provide age and sex-specific reference values of STS in healthy children and adolescents and to evaluate its short-term reliability and construct validity.Design, setting and participantsCross-sectional random sample from 6 public schools and 1 science fair in central Europe. Overall, 587 healthy participants aged 5-16 years were recruited and divided into age groups of 3 years each.Outcomes1-minute STS. To evaluate short-term reliability, some children performed the STS twice. To evaluate construct validity, some children also performed a standing long jump (SLJ) and a maximal incremental exercise test.ResultsData from 547 5-16 year old youth were finally included in the analyses. The median number of repetitions in 1 minute in males (females) ranged from 55 [95% CI 38 to 72] (53 [35 to 76]) in 14-16 year-olds to 59 [41 to 77] (60 [38 to 77]) in 8-10 year-olds. Children who repeated STS showed a learning effect of on average 4.8 repetitions more than the first test (95% limits of agreement −6.7 to 16.4). Moderate correlations were observed between the STS and the SLJ (r = 0.48) and the maximal exercise test (r = 0.43).ConclusionsThe reported STS reference values can be used to interpret STS test performance in children and adolescents. The STS appears to have good test-retest reliability, but a learning effect of about 10%. The association of STS with other measures of physical fitness should be further explored in a larger study and technical standards for its conduct are needed.Strengths and Limitations of this StudyLarge sample size (N = 547)Reference values according to sex and age group (5-7, 8-10, 11-13 and 14-16)Evaluation of test-retest reliability and construct validityConvenience not population-based sampleNot all outcomes have been measured on each participant