The association between timed up and go test and history of falls: The Troms？ study

A retrospective, observational, population-based study was conducted on 414 men and 560 women with mean age 77.5 (SD 2.3). TUG time and falls during the previous 12 months were recorded. Covariates were age, sex, medical history and health-related mobility problems. Means, confidence intervals and test characteristics for TUG were calculated. Odds ratios and influence of covariates were examined by logistic regression.The mean TUG time was 11.1s (SD 2.5) among male non-fallers and 13.0s (SD 7.8) among fallers. The difference was 1.9s (95%CI 0.9–3.0). The odds ratio for fallers being in the upper quartile was 2.1 (95%CI 1.4–3.3). Adjusted for covariates, the odds ratio was (OR = 1.8, 95%CI 1.1–2.9). The corresponding mean was 13.0s (SD 5.74) among female non-fallers and 13.9s (SD 8.5) among fallers. The difference was 0.9 (95%CI -0.3–2.1). The odds ratio for fallers being in upper quartile was 1.0 (95%CI 0.7–1.4). The area under the ROC curve was 0.50 (95%CI 0.45–0.55) in women and 0.56 (95%CI 0.50–0.62) in men.TUG is statistically associated with a history of falls in men but not in women. The ability to classify fallers is poor, and the clinical value of the association is therefore limited.Approximately 30% of adults over 65 years old fall each year [1,2]. The incidence is higher for persons 75 years or older [3]. The combination of a high incidence of falls and a high susceptibility to injury is a key concern in older adults [4]. To be effective, fall prevention programs have to include people at high risk [5]. Decline in physical mobility is probably a risk factor for falls [6-8], so assessment of physical mobility may be valuable for predicting falls and targeting prevention programmes.The "Timed Up and Go test" (TUG) was presented in 1991 as a basic test for functional mobility [9]. The test measures speed during several functional manoeuvres, which include standing up, walking, turning and sitting down [9]. Limited training and equipment are required, and the