| Summary: | Background and objective: Motor performance plays an important role in
daily activities for older adults. The purpose of the study was to construct a
method for measuring physical fitness age that can be used to assess motor
performance in elderly men and to verify its validity. Methods: Four
items of physical fitness including grip strength, balancing on one leg with eyes
open, 30 s chair stand test and 6 min walk test were selected and measured in a
random order. Principal component analysis was employed to build physical fitness
age based on motor performance variables from 94 elderly men with a mean age of
71.20 ± 5.05 years. Physical fitness age = 115.516-0.652 × grip
strength - 0.142 × balancing on one leg with eyes open - 0.839
× 30 s chair stand - 0.061 × 6 min walk distance + 0.541
× chronological age. Results: Validation test from 13 men with
exercise habit and 12 men without exercise habit showed that the physical fitness
age in the exercised adults was significantly lower than its chronological age
(63.91 ± 5.40 vs. 70.92 ± 4.17, P < 0.001), while no
significant difference was observed between physical fitness age and
chronological age in the elderly without exercise habits (71.23 ± 7.49 vs.
70.83 ± 5.19, P = 0.646). Conclusion: Physical fitness
age is a valid indicator to evaluate and monitor motor performance. Participation
in physical exercise may lower the physical fitness age by improving motor
performance.
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