HEALTH-RELATED FITNESS TEST BATTERY FOR ADULTS - ASSOCIATIONS WITH PERCEIVED HEALTH, MOBILITY, AND BACK FUNCTION AND SYMPTOMS

Objective: To evaluate the health-related content validity of nine fit ness tests by studying how low, mid, and high levels of fitness are as sociated with perceived health and musculoskeletal functioning. Design : Cross-sectional methodological study. Setting: A research institute for health promotion. Participants: Middle-aged (37 to 57 years) men ( n = 245) and women (n = 253), evenly selected from five age cohorts of a random population sample. Main Outcome Measures: The odds ratios (O Rs) of selected health outcomes for low (least fit 20%), mid (next 40% ), and high (most fit 40%) fitness categories in the different tests a djusted for several possible confounders. Results: Cardiorespiratory f itness, as measured by 2-km walk test, was strongly and consistently a ssociated with perceived health and mobility (stair climbing) in both genders (range of ORs, 2.4 to 17.6), and a somewhat weaker relationshi p was found with leg power and with leg strength (ORs, 2.5 to 7.2). Lo w fitness in back muscular endurance and upper-body strength were asso ciated with mobility disability (ORs, 2.8 to 8.5) and with back dysfun ction and pain (ORs, 2.9 to 6.1). High fitness in back endurance in me n and in balance in women were related to positive back health (ORs, 2 .5 to 3.7). Body mass index was associated with musculoskeletal disabi lity in women (ORs, 2.4 to 5.3). Balance, leg strength, and leg flexib ility in men; and leg power, trunk and leg flexibility in women were n ot associated with health outcomes. Conclusions: Among a middle-aged p opulation, the majority of the evaluated fitness tests demonstrated he alth-related validity by strong associations with perceived health and musculoskeletal functioning, and by weaker associations with back sym ptoms. (C) 1998 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine an d the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.