Influence of various obstacle heights on the timed "Up & Go" test in young adults

Abstract

This preliminary study examined the influence of various obstacle heights on the walkway in the timed “Up & Go” (TUG) test on test performance and reliability. Seventeen healthy young men participated in the original TUG test and in the TUG test with an obstacle (TUGO). In TUGO tests, subjects stood up from a chair, walked 5 m on a path that required stepping over an obstacle (0, 3, 5, 10 and 17 cm in height), turned 180°, returned to the chair stepping over the obstacle again and sat down. They were instructed to move as fast as possible. The following parameters were measured; total time required to complete the test, time needed to walk to the obstacle or return, time for turn, single support time pre- and post-stepping over the obstacle (pre- and post-single support times), and distances between each single support foot and the obstacle (pre- and post-single support distances). The total time required for TUGO tests showed very high intra-class correlation coefficients (0.96–0.99) and had significant relationships to that of the TUG test and all gait property parameters regarding time. The results of ANOVA showed that the total time required was significantly shorter with obstacle heights from 0 to 10 cm than it was at the 17 cm height. Turn time, pre-single support time and post-single support distance were longer with obstacle heights over 5 cm as compared to the 0 cm height. Post-single support time was significantly longer at the 17 cm height than at the other heights. Reliability of the TUGO test was very high. The total time required was significantly longer at the 17 cm obstacle height. Even at the relatively low 5 cm obstacle height, turn time, pre-single support time and post-single support distance were longer.