Validation of the Functional Readiness Assessment Test in the Elderly in Tehran

Introduction

The majority of the elderly population living in the community is relatively sedentary and experiences a significant decline in physical capacity. Many assessment protocols require expensive equipment or extensive training for test technicians, making them impractical for clinical or community settings where older adults' fitness is evaluated. To date, most physical performance instruments designed for older adults primarily detect functional limitations at the behavioral level (e.g., assessing difficulties in performing specific activities such as bathing, dressing, walking, and climbing stairs).

Notably, researchers in the country have not yet introduced the Persian version of the Functional Fitness Assessment Scale for the Elderly or determined its validity and reliability. The importance of culturally sensitive and valid instrument adaptation has been emphasized in research on behavior and motor control. As Duda & Hayashi (1998) stated, “We must acknowledge that culturally specific values, norms, and attitudes may influence whether the construct used has the same meanings across different cultural contexts.”

Additionally, assessing reliability is a crucial requirement for field instruments, as it pertains to the consistency of responses across different conditions and time points. However, as societies change, it is necessary to re-evaluate the temporal reliability and internal consistency of questionnaires. By establishing the statistical and psychometric properties of valid measurement tools applicable to both active and inactive elderly individuals, more accurate assessments can be made.

Consequently, this study aimed to examine the psychometric properties (construct validity and reliability) of the Persian version of the Functional Fitness Assessment Scale for the Elderly and sought to determine whether this tool demonstrates appropriate validity and reliability for use among active and inactive older adults.

Methods

The present study employed a descriptive, cross-sectional design, with data collected over a specific period.

The target population consisted of adults aged 60 years and above in Tehran. A convenience sample of 300 elderly individuals (164 women and 136 men), aged 60–95 years, was selected based on inclusion criteria. Participants were recruited from parks, welfare centers, senior centers, mosques, and other public locations in Tehran. Data were collected using the Functional Fitness Test (SFT) for older adults and the CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire.

Research Procedure

All participants lived independently in the community. Before testing, they provided informed consent and consulted with their physicians. Each participant completed the CHAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire, along with assessments of cognitive function and demographic information, to screen for orthopedic issues or the use of medications affecting physical activity. Prior to testing, participants performed a warm-up consisting of light walking and brief stretching. Each individual was tested separately in a controlled environment to avoid group interference. Testing sessions were conducted between 9:30 AM and 3:00 PM in a well-lit, spacious room to ensure optimal performance conditions.

Results

Internal consistency reliability for the SFT subscales was calculated for a total of six items (α = 0.497). The range of Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for the subscales was as follows: flexibility (α = 0.539) and physical power (α = 0.272). For gender-specific subscales, Cronbach’s alpha coefficients were: flexibility in men (α = 0.492), physical power in men (α = 0.313), flexibility in women (α = 0.560), and physical power in women (α = 0.224). The overall reliability for all six subscales was α = 0.486 in men and α = 0.557 in women. Test-retest reliability for each subscale was as follows: (r = 0.829), (r = 0.801), (r = 0.945), (r = 0.932), (r = 0.973), and (r = 0.73). The total scores for both women and men exceeded 0.75, and the overall reliability ranged from 0.40 to 0.75, indicating moderate to good reliability. Intra-rater reliability coefficients for the subscales were above 75%. For the *8-foot walk and reach* test, it was 0.637. Inter-rater reliability coefficients for the subtests were greater than 75% for both genders and 98% for the entire scale. The content validity index (CVI) was 0.94, and face validity, assessed via Pearson correlation coefficients between subtests and age, was positive and significant. Construct validity correlation coefficients for the total SFT score were high and statistically significant. 

Conclusion

The present study aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of the functional fitness test for adults aged 60 to 95 in Tehran. Accurate assessment tools for evaluating functional fitness in older adults represent a critical need in contemporary society. Such tools enable the measurement of current functional fitness levels, allowing for appropriate physical activity recommendations tailored to different age groups. While numerous studies have established the validity and reliability of functional fitness assessments for adults over 60, this evidence comes from non-Iranian populations. As psychometric experts emphasize, test validity and reliability are context-specific, tied to the cultural and geographical settings in which they were developed. Consequently, these findings cannot be automatically generalized across different cultural and regional contexts. Moreover, applying such tests outside their original validation context without proper localization and standardization poses significant limitations. The selection of appropriate assessment tools and the establishment of their validity and reliability for Iran's elderly population represent a crucial step in aging research within the country. Given the profound implications of functional fitness progression or decline in older adults, this study's findings confirm the acceptable validity and reliability of the functional fitness assessment test for Iranian adults over 60 years of age.

Footmotes

Authors’ contribution: All authors contributed equally to the writing of the article.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Acknowledgments: We would like to thank all the older adults, guardians, and participants who accompanied us in collecting data for this study.

Data Availability Statement: Data available on request from the authors.