Diagnostic accuracy of the five times stand-to-sit test for the screening of global muscle weakness in community-dwelling older women

Key Points

1. Prior to this publication, the validity of the five times sit-to-stand (5xSTS) was based on correlation to quadriceps and not global muscle strength.

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BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE

Among older adults, muscle weakness is associated with various adverse health outcomes, including falls, hospitalization, institutionalization, and a reduction in quality of life (1,2). Thus, it is essential to have accurate and reliable muscle weakness screening tools. According to various guidelines, grip strength and five times stand-to-sit (5xSTS) is recommended as a screening tool for muscle weakness (2,3). However, the validity of the 5xSTS is based on correlation to quadriceps muscle strength and not global muscle strength. This literature gap is concerning because clinicians use the 5xSTS to indicate overall strength associated with functional activities.

The objective of this study was to verify if the 5xSTS could estimate global muscle strength among older women, considering the sum of muscle strength at the trunk, hip, knee, and ankle muscle groups.

Among older adults, muscle weakness is associated with various adverse health outcomes.

The purpose of a screening tool is to make sure that you miss as little percent of individuals with the diagnosis (i.e. muscle weakness) as possible.

METHODS

Design: Cross-sectional study

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