Reference values of physical performance in Thai elderly people who are functioning well and dwelling in the community.

Background: Because the number of elderly people is rapidly increasing, reference values for the physical abilities necessary to independently conduct daily activities are crucial for promoting good health. Although a few studies have reported reference values for functional tests relating to these abilities, all of those values were derived from populations in developed countries, which have baseline demographic and anthropometric characteristics different from those of Thai people.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe reference values for 5 physical performance tests for Thai elderly people who were functioning well and dwelling in the community.