Table 2.
Mean (95 % CI) musculoskeletal fitness- and balance test results stratified by age and sex
| Variable | 65–69 | 70–74 | 75–79 | 80–85 | Alla | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | |
| N | 36 | 36 | 24 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 5 | 85 | 76 |
| OLS (sec) | 28.2 (22.3–34.2) | 26.3 (20.3–32.3) | 15.0 (7.8–22.2) | 21.3 (13.7–28.9) | 9.2 (0.01–18.3) | 10.5 (1.0–20.0) | 4.9 (−6.3–16.1) | 2.0 (−15.8–19.7) | 19.2 (15.4–23.0) | 19.8 (15.7–23.8)a |
| All b | 27.2 (23.1–31.4)d | 18.0 (12.8–23.2)e | 9.8 (3.2–16.4)f | 4.2 (–5.3–13.7)g | 19.5 (16.7–22.2)c | |||||
| HG (kg) | 27.3 (24.6–30.0) | 44.3 (41.6–47.1) | 24.2 (20.9–27.5) | 40.8 (37.4–44.3) | 25.5 (21.3–29.7) | 42.7 (38.1–47.2) | 21.9 (16.7–27.1) | 37.1 (29.8–44.4) | 25.6 (23.9–27.4) | 42.4 (40.5–44.2)a, |
| All b | 35.3 (33.4–37.2) | 32.0 (29.7–34.4) | 33.6 (30.5–36.6) | 29.3 (25.1–33.5) | 33.5 (32.3–34.8)c | |||||
| SBE (sec) | 73.4 (58.1–88.6) | 59.2 (44.6–73.9) | 66.5 (48.0–85.0) | 54.7 (36.2–73.1) | 48.4 (25.7–71.0) | 28.6 (5.0–52.2) | 49.3 (11.4–87.2) | 2.1 (−57.8–62.1) | 65.6 (55.6–75.7) | 49.6 (39.5–59.7)a, |
| All b | 66.4 (55.9–76.8)h | 60.6 (47.7–73.6) | 38.6 (22.4–54.8)i | 32.4 (0.4–64.4) | 57.7 (50.6–64.8)c | |||||
| SR (cm) | 23.5 (20.1–26.9) | 14.1 (10.7–17.5) | 19.2 (15.1–23.3) | 14.2 (9.9–18.5) | 17.1 (11.9–22.3) | 14.3 (8.9–19.7) | 15.9 (9.6–22.3) | 4.6 (−5.6–14.7) | 20.4 (18.2–22.6) | 13.4 (11.1–15.8)a, |
| All b | 18.9 (16.5–21.3) | 16.8 (13.8–19.8) | 15.8 (12.0–19.5) | 11.3 (5.9–16.8) | 17.1 (15.5–18.7)c | |||||
| BSR (cm) | −5.7 (−9.6--1.7) | −12.9 (−16.8- -8.9) | −8.8 (−13.5--4.0) | −12.9 (−18.0- -7.8) | −7.7 (−13.8- -1.7) | −15.8 (−22.1- -9.6) | −13.0 (−20.4- -5.7) | −15.5 (−27.1- -3.8) | −7.7 (−10.2--5.1) | −13.8 (−16.4- -11.1)a, * |
| All b | −9.1 (−11.9--6.4) | −10.7 (−14.2--7.3) | −11.6 (−15.9--7.3) | −14.9 (−21.1--8.6) | −10.5 (−12.4--8.7)c | |||||
| BSL (cm) | −11.2 (−15.2- -7.3) | −19.7 (−23.7- -15.8) | −11.4 (−16.2--6.7) | −17.5 (−22.4- -12.6) | −12.2 (−18.2- -6.2) | −19.3 (−25.5- -13.1) | −18.7 (−26.0- -11.3) | −18.6 (−30.2- -7.0) | −12.3 (−14.8- -9.8) | −19.0 (−21.7- -16.4)a, * |
| All b | −15.3 (−18.1--12.6) | −14.3 (−17.7--10.9) | −15.6 (−19.9--11.3) | −20.0 (−26.2--13.8) | −15.5 (−17.3--13.7)c | |||||
Abbreviations: OLS one leg standing, HG handgrip, SBE static back extension, SR sit and reach, BSR back scratch right arm over, BSL back scratch left arm over
* p < 0.05 between sexes in the different tests
aAdjusted for age and test center
bAdjusted for sex and test center
cAdjusted for age, sex, and test center
d65–69 yr compared to 70–74 yr p = 0.04, 65–69 yr compared to 75–79 yr p ≤ 0.001, and 65–69 yr compared to 80–85 yr p ≤ 0.001
e70–74 yr compared to 65–69 yr p = 0.04
f75–79 yr compared to 65–69 yr p ≤ 0.001
g80–85 yr compared to 65–69 yr p ≤ 0.001
h65–69 yr compared to 75–79 yr p = 0.03
i75–79 yr compared to 65–69 yr p = 0.03