Table 3.

Changes (%) in the mean test results according to age group and gender from the analysis of covariance

	Change % (95% CI) 6.1 -m walk (s)	Stair climbing (s)	Backwards walk (s)	Trunk side-bending (cm)	Dynamic back extension (rpt./30 s)	1-km walk (min)
Age group
55–59 years	−3.4 (−5.3 to −1.4)	9.0 (6.9–11.0)	8.5 (4.7–12.2)	−0.8 (−3.2 to 1.6)	3.9 (0.4–7.4)	0.7 (−0.5 to 1.9)
60–64 years	−7.6 (−10.0 to −5.3)	2.7 (0.1– 5.2)	1.5 (−3.5 to 6.2)	−4.4 (−7.0 to −1.6)	−2.8 (−6.8 to 1.3)	−1.8 (−3.3 to −0.4)
65–69 years	−14.0 (−16.8 to −11.2)	−6.4 (−9.8 to −3.2)	−10.3 (−17.8 to −3.2)	−9.5 (−12.3 to −6.7)	−7.9 (−12.2 to −3.4)	−6.4 (−8.3 to −4.6)
70–79 years	−17.4 (−21.8 to −13.2)	−10.1 (−15.9 to −4.6)	−19.3 (−36.3 to −4.4)	−15.9 (−19.7 to −11.9)	−6.8 (−14.2 to 1.4)	−7.4 (−10.6 to −4.4)
P value*	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001‡
P value for linearity**	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.008	<0.001
n
55–59 years	233	220	184	230	198	206
60–64 years	168	157	125	164	127	149
65–69 years	135	112	70	135	95	99
70–79 years	65	45	17	63	32	38
Gender
Men	−7.2 (−9.1 to −5.2)	2.1 (−0.1 to 4.3)	4.5 (−0.3 to 9.1)	−8.7 (−10.8 to −6.5)	−0.5 (−4.1 to 3.2)	2.4 (−3.7 to −1.1)
Women	−13.8 (−15.8 to −11.9)	−4.1 (−6.5 to −1.8)	−14.0 (−20.2 to −8.1)	−7.0 (−8.9 to −5.0)	−6.4 (−9.7 to −3.0)	−5.0 (−6.3 to −3.7)
P value†	<0.001	<0.001	<0.001	0.223	0.010	0.002‡
n
Men	269	255	194	264	207	221
Women	332	279	202	328	245	271

Positive percentages indicate improvement and negative percentages deterioration of the results

*P value for the differences of changes between cohorts

**P value for linear trend in changes according to birth cohort

^†P value for differences of changes between men and women

^‡Statistically significant interaction between age group and gender (P=0.041), see Fig. 4