•  
  •  
 

INVESTIGATING THE FEASIBILITY, RELIABILITY, AND VALIDITY OF A HOME-BASED PROTOCOL TO ASSESS PHYSICAL FUNCTION

Abstract

Samuel C. Norton1, Bennett Ann McIver1, Bri Wolle1, Peter Brubaker, FACSM1, Shannon Mihalko1, Jason Fanning1, Alexander R. Lucas2. 1Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC. 2Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.

BACKGROUND: Low levels of physical function (PF) are associated with increased risk of hospitalization and all-cause mortality and are predictive of poor prognosis for several chronic diseases. Finding novel, effective ways of measuring PF levels is of great importance to both clinicians and researchers when traditional measurement methods are unavailable. The purpose of this study is to determine the feasibility, reliability, and validity of conducting PF testing in a home-based setting without the direct involvement of trained assessors. METHODS: This is a 2-arm, randomized order, feasibility, reliability, and validity study. Participants (n=30) will be recruited, consented, and randomized to 1 of 2 groups: completing home-based (HB) testing first or lab-based (LB) testing first. Participants will be stratified into 3 age groups: 18-39, 40-65, and >65 (n=10 per group). Participants will perform 2 HB testing sessions within 24 hours with the help of an assistant (i.e., family member, friend). Prior to HB testing, participants will be asked to record a 6-lead resting ECG and to measure blood pressure and pulse oximetry. Participants will also complete a single LB testing session at Wake Forest University administered by a trained study staff member. PF will be assessed by self-report with PF questionnaires and objective measures of hand grip strength, balance tests, chair stands, 4-meter walk, and 6-minute walk tests. All tests will be filmed or photographed by the assistant (HB) or study staff member (LB) to allow for consistent scoring of the tests. Feasibility will be assessed by adverse events, participant satisfaction and adherence to testing protocols. Reliability will be assessed by examining the intraclass correlation coefficient of the HB test-retest. Validity will be assessed by estimating the limits of agreement between the HB and LB measures. ANTICIPATED RESULTS: It is expected that the HB testing protocol will be shown to be feasible, reliable, and valid. This would establish HB PF testing as a viable option for expanding the utility of PF testing and decreasing burden on researchers, clinicians, and participants.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS