The Relationship Between Hip Mobility and Performance on the Functional Movement Screen in Apparently Healthy Older Adults: A Preliminary Study

• Main Author: Lindstrom, Kimberly Jaye
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2021
• Subjects: hip mobility; Functional Movement Screen; older adults; Life Sciences
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/8896; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=9905&context=etd

Limited or asymmetrical hip mobility can affect movement patterns common to everyday living. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between hip mobility and performance on the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) in apparently healthy older adults. This relationship was evaluated in both males and females. In this observational study, 20 older adults (10 male, 10 female, mean age = 65.65 ± 10.18 years old) completed the Functional Movement Screen and measurements of passive hip range of motion. Separate regression analyses and Pearson Product-Moment Correlations were used to evaluate the relationship between hip mobility measures and FMS composite and FMS individual task scores. All analyses employed a pseudo-Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Significant correlations were found between FMS Shoulder Mobility (left side scoring) and left leg hip flexion (p = 0.002, r = 0.636), Trunk Stability Push-Up and left leg external rotation (p = 0.008, r = 0.568), and Rotary Stability (scoring on the right side) and right leg flexion (p = 0.008, r = 0.571). The only measure of hip mobility that was significantly related to the FMS composite score was left leg hip external rotation (p = 0.006, r = 0.589). An independent t-test revealed a significant difference (p = 0.0002) between men and women on the FMS Trunk Stability Push-Up test. There was no sex difference in any other individual FMS test item or the composite FMS score. All of the participants were able to complete all of the measures of hip mobility and all of the individual FMS test items. Thus, a larger scale study could be conducted in an older group of participants to further evaluate the relationship between measures of hip mobility and the FMS, accounting for confounding variables such as physical activity level, BMI, and age. In this preliminary study, correlations between measures of hip mobility and FMS scores were strong but few in number. The findings of our study suggest that lower measures of hip mobility can lead to a decreased ability to perform task-specific FMS movements. This data gives evidence that hip mobility can influence functional movement patterns which may lead to alterations in functional movement related to activities of daily living.