The measurement properties and performance characteristics among older people of TURN180, a test of dynamic postural stability

Objectives: To establish the measurement properties of TURN180, a test of dynamic postural stability.Design: One physiotherapist conducted three trials of TURN180, one of which was also observed by a second therapist.Setting: A day unit for elderly people accepting both inpatients and outpatients.Subjects: Sixty-six people (mean age 82.45 years), only six (9.1%) of whom could walk without using a walking aid.Main measurement: The number of steps that a person takes to step around 180 degrees. A step is defined as any attempt on the subject's part to take a step, successful or not.Results: Repeatability is good, intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.828; the minimal detectable change revealed that in order to be considered a real improvement the number of steps the person takes to complete the postintervention TURN180 must be 28–29% fewer than the preintervention count. As long as the protocol is followed carefully, between-observer agreement is good, with differences between two observers rarely exceedin...