Relationship between physical performance and self-perceived physical health status in elderly women
Abstract
Clinical geriatrics and ageing research are often focused to evaluation the level of physical functioning. This information is generally assessed through self-report.
In addition to the self-report of physical functioning, the use of performance-based measures is becoming more common. The two measures together, self-report and performance-based, are frequently being used to better assess patient's functional ability.
The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between selfperceived physical health status and functional mobility in elderly women. We evaluated 42 older postmenopausal women (mean age 68.8 +- 5 years; mean body weight 71.4 +- 9.6 kg; mean body height 161 +- 5.1 cm; mean body mass index 27.7 +- 3.6 kg.m-2).
The self-perceived physical health status was evaluated using the score of the Physical Component Summary (PCS) from the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Functional performance was assessed by the 30-Second Chair Stand Test and 1-Mile Walk Test.
The results of this study show that self-perceived physical health status moderately correlated (i) with physical performance in 30-Second Chair Stand Test (r = 0.406; p < 0.01), and (ii) with the physical performance in 1-Mile Walk Test (r = -0.466; p < 0.01). Participants with better physical performance scores on the 30-Second Chair Stand Test and 1-Mile Walk Test reached higher scores of the Physical Component Summary (PCS).
In older people, self-perceived level of the Physical Component Summary might be an important predictor of level of physical functioning.