Factors associating with shuttle walking test results in community-dwelling elderly people.

Background: The shuttle walking test (SWT) is a simple, widely used method for assessing endurance performance in the elderly. Despite widespread community use, its associated factors are unclear.

Aims: We aim to identify previously undefined SWT association factors in community-dwelling elderly people.

Methods: Herein, 149 healthy elderly Japanese subjects performed the SWT, and were assessed for height, weight, smoking history, 10-m walk time, Timed Up and Go (TUG) scores, handgrip strength, skeletal mass index (SMI), forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), cardio-ankle vascular index, and ankle brachial index. We divided men and women into higher and lower SWT score groups, compared between-group parameters, and performed stepwise multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors independently associated with SWT scores.

Results: Age, BMI, 10-m walk time, TUG score, SMI, FVC (L; %-predicted), and FEV1 (L; %-predicted) were significantly different between SWT score groups for men, while in women, significant differences were observed in age, TUG score, handgrip strength, FVC (L; %-predicted), and FEV1 (L; %-predicted) (p < 0.05). In the multivariate logistic regression model, 10-m walk time, and FEV1 showed significant associations with SWT results in men; among women, age was the only significantly associated factor (p < 0.05).

Conclusions: Results indicate that better lung function and shorter walk time independently associate with SWT results in community-dwelling men; in women, age is the only association. Our findings may offer insight when considering the focus of community exercise programs among the elderly.