Age score for assessing motor function in Chinese community-dwelling older women.

Abstract

The study aimed to develop a physical fitness age score to assess motor function in community-dwelling elderly women and verify its validity. Principal component analysis was employed to build a physical fitness age score based on motor function variables. Validation test showed that the physical fitness age in the exercised older women was significantly lower than their chronological age, while no significant difference was observed between the physical fitness age and the chronological age in the normal elderly. The findings suggest that physical fitness age score is a valid approach to evaluate motor function in Chinese community-dwelling elderly women.