Article

The aim of the study was to examine whether the chair stand component
of the Short Physical Performance Battery predicts fall-related injury among
older adult primary care patients. DESIGN: A 2-yr longitudinal cohort study of
430 Boston-area primary care patients aged >/=65 yrs screened to be at risk for
mobility decline was conducted. The three components of the Short Physical
Performance Battery (balance time, gait speed, and chair stand time) were
measured at baseline. Participants reported incidence of fall-related injuries
quarterly for 2 yrs. Complementary log-log discrete time hazard models were
constructed to examine the hazard of fall-related injury across Short Physical
Performance Battery scores, adjusting for age, sex, race, Digit Symbol
Substitution Test score, and fall history. RESULTS: Participants were 68% female
and 83% white, with a mean (SD) age of 76.6 (7.0). A total of 137 (32%) reported
a fall-related injury during the follow-up period. Overall, inability to perform
the chair stand task was a significant predictor of fall-related injury (hazard
ratio = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-3.62, P = 0.01). Total Short
Physical Performance Battery score, gait component score, and balance component
score were not predictive of fall-related injury. CONCLUSIONS: Inability to
perform the repeated chair stand task was associated with increased hazard of an
injurious fall for 2 yrs among a cohort of older adult primary care patients.

Langue : ANGLAIS