Bäckman P1, Mansson L1, Selling J1, Sandlund M1
1Umeå University, Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Umeå, Sweden
Background: Evaluations of balance and strength using a smartphone could enable older adults to carry out basic functional assessments in their home environment. As part of the development of such a self-test variables derived from smartphone sensor data has been compared to validated clinical tests.
Purpose: To investigate the concurrent validity between clinical tests of balance and functional strength and variables derived from smartphone sensor data.
Methods: 21 seniors (mean age 78) were included. Correlation between variables derived from the smartphone accelerometer sensor during 4-stage balance test and one maximal chairstand, and the results from seven clinical tests (five times sit to stand, 1 repetition maximum leg press, 30 second chairstand test, MiniBESTest, functional reach, modified stepping test and 4-stage balance test) was calculated. The result in the clinical 4-stage balance test was modified to the total time the participants managed to keep their balance.
Results: All variables calculated from the smartphone registrations during one maximal chairstand correlated significantly with the 30 second chairstand test. Some of the variables also correlated with five times sit to stand and 1 repetition maximum leg press. For the balance tests, a correlation was observed between the smartphone's estimates of body sway in the most challenging foot position the participants managed to complete and the total time the participants balanced in the 4-stage balance test.
Conclusion(s): Measurements with the smartphone during one maximal chairstand could estimate functional leg strength with similar results as the 30 second chairstand test. The smartphone's measurements, and applied analyses, did not appear to be able to quantify balance in the same manner as the clinical balance tests. The lack of correlation between the smartphone derived measure of body sway and the clinical balance tests indicate that clinical measures may involve several other aspects that influence balance performance.
Implications: A self-test for smartphones may in the future enable older adults to test their balance and strength in their home environment. Such test may also be possible to use for assessments in clinical settings. Further studies need to address the self-tests ability to evaluate balance progression after exercise interventions and to evaluate reliability and validity of the test.
Keywords: Accelerometer, Self-test, Validity
Funding acknowledgements: This work was partly supported by the Strategic Research Programme in Care Sciences, Umeå University and The Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Purpose: To investigate the concurrent validity between clinical tests of balance and functional strength and variables derived from smartphone sensor data.
Methods: 21 seniors (mean age 78) were included. Correlation between variables derived from the smartphone accelerometer sensor during 4-stage balance test and one maximal chairstand, and the results from seven clinical tests (five times sit to stand, 1 repetition maximum leg press, 30 second chairstand test, MiniBESTest, functional reach, modified stepping test and 4-stage balance test) was calculated. The result in the clinical 4-stage balance test was modified to the total time the participants managed to keep their balance.
Results: All variables calculated from the smartphone registrations during one maximal chairstand correlated significantly with the 30 second chairstand test. Some of the variables also correlated with five times sit to stand and 1 repetition maximum leg press. For the balance tests, a correlation was observed between the smartphone's estimates of body sway in the most challenging foot position the participants managed to complete and the total time the participants balanced in the 4-stage balance test.
Conclusion(s): Measurements with the smartphone during one maximal chairstand could estimate functional leg strength with similar results as the 30 second chairstand test. The smartphone's measurements, and applied analyses, did not appear to be able to quantify balance in the same manner as the clinical balance tests. The lack of correlation between the smartphone derived measure of body sway and the clinical balance tests indicate that clinical measures may involve several other aspects that influence balance performance.
Implications: A self-test for smartphones may in the future enable older adults to test their balance and strength in their home environment. Such test may also be possible to use for assessments in clinical settings. Further studies need to address the self-tests ability to evaluate balance progression after exercise interventions and to evaluate reliability and validity of the test.
Keywords: Accelerometer, Self-test, Validity
Funding acknowledgements: This work was partly supported by the Strategic Research Programme in Care Sciences, Umeå University and The Karolinska Institute, Sweden.
Topic: Robotics & technology; Outcome measurement; Older people
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: Umeå University
Ethics committee: Regional ethics committee
Ethics number: EPN dnr 2017/317-31
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
