Eur J Ageing (2006) 3: 3–14 DOI 10.1007/s10433-006-0018-0
O RI GI N AL IN V ES T IG A T IO N
P. Ha¨ma¨la¨inen Æ J. Suni Æ M. Pasanen J. Malmberg Æ S. Miilunpalo
Changes in physical performance among high-functioning older adults: a 6-year follow-up study
Published online: 9 February 2006 Springer-Verlag 2006
Abstract Purposes of the study were (1) to investigate changes in physical performance during 6 years followup among high-functioning older adults and (2) to describe the selection of study sample with reference to measured performance. Subjects (n=1,133) born during 1917–1941 participated in the battery of health-related fitness (HRF) tests (6.1-m walk, stair climbing, backwards walk, trunk side-bending, dynamic back extension, 1-km walk and body mass index) in 1996. Six hundred and six subjects were retested in 2002. In general, poorer fitness in the baseline assessment predicted non-participation in retesting as well as test exclusions and interruptions in retesting. The 6-year changes in the HRF showed a linear trend (P
O RI GI N AL IN V ES T IG A T IO N
P. Ha¨ma¨la¨inen Æ J. Suni Æ M. Pasanen J. Malmberg Æ S. Miilunpalo
Changes in physical performance among high-functioning older adults: a 6-year follow-up study
Published online: 9 February 2006 Springer-Verlag 2006
Abstract Purposes of the study were (1) to investigate changes in physical performance during 6 years followup among high-functioning older adults and (2) to describe the selection of study sample with reference to measured performance. Subjects (n=1,133) born during 1917–1941 participated in the battery of health-related fitness (HRF) tests (6.1-m walk, stair climbing, backwards walk, trunk side-bending, dynamic back extension, 1-km walk and body mass index) in 1996. Six hundred and six subjects were retested in 2002. In general, poorer fitness in the baseline assessment predicted non-participation in retesting as well as test exclusions and interruptions in retesting. The 6-year changes in the HRF showed a linear trend (P
