Mobility assessment: Sensitivity and specificity of measurement sets in older adults

Abstract

Objective: To identify quantitative measurement variables that characterize mobility in older adults, meet reliability and validity criteria, distinguish fall risk, and predict future falls. Design: Observational study with 1-year weekly falls follow-up. Setting: Mobility laboratory. Participants: Community-dwelling volunteers (N=74; age, 65-94y) categorized at entry as 27 nonfallers or 47 fallers by using Medicare criteria (1 injury fall or >1 noninjury fall in the previous year). Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Test-retest and within-subject reliability, criterion and concurrent validity; predictive ability indicated by observed sensitivity and specificity to entry fall-risk group (falls status), Tinetti Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA), computerized dynamic posturography Sensory Organization Test (SOT), and subsequent falls reported weekly. Results: Measurement variables were selected that met reliability (intraclass coefficient of correlation >.6) and/or discrimination (P