This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of isometric knee extension muscle strength measurements using a belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer compared to that using an isokinetic dynamometer with the participant in a sitting posture. [Participants and Methods] Forty-two university students participated. The isometric knee extension muscle strength was measured using a hand-held dynamometer and an isokinetic dynamometer. For both measurements, the participants were in the similar sitting posture. The sitting posture maintained trunk stability, with the hands on the bed, and the non-measurement-side toe touching the floor or table. The intra-class correlation coefficient and the relevance were verified. [Results] Intra-rater correlation coefficient (1, 1) of the two measurements was ≥0.75. A significant difference was found in the measurement value between males and females. No significant difference was found between the measurements value of the two devices. A significant positive correlation was found in the measurement value of two devices in the male participants.[Conclusion] When compared to the standard method of isometric knee extension muscle strength measurements using an isokinetic dynamometer with the participant in the sitting posture, measurements using the belt-stabilized hand-held dynamometer were considered valid and highly reliable in the male participants.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to examine the agreement between the values obtained by using a hand-held dynamometer with a belt (belt-HHD) and an isokinetic dynamometer (IKD) for the measurement of isometric knee flexion and extension muscle strength. We also studied the factors influencing the measurement. [Participants and Methods] Overall, 26 healthy young adults (16 males, 10 females) participated in the study; the mean age was 21 years. Knee flexion and extension muscle strength were measured by three methods: 1) belt-HHD, 2) conventional IKD with the participant sitting on an attached chair (conv-IKD), and 3) modified IKD with the participant sitting on the same mat table as HHD (mod-IKD). [Results] In the measurement of knee extension, mod-IKD and conv-IKD showed a fixed bias and a proportional bias, conv-IKD and belt-HHD showed a fixed bias, and belt-HHD and mod-IKD showed a fixed bias. In the measurement knee flexion, conv-IKD and mod-IKD showed a proportional bias, belt-HHD and conv-IDK showed a fixed bias, and mod-IKD and belt-HHD showed a fixed bias. In each combination, the measured values were larger in the latter due to errors. However, the types and values of errors differed when analysis was conducted based on gender. [Conclusion] In order to increase the agreement between the values, it is necessary to revise the fixing method of the trunk, and the fixing method of the belt and the sensor pad in belt-HHD.

[Purpose] This study aimed to investigate the effect of trunk stability on isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement while sitting by performing simultaneous measurements with a handheld dynamometer (HHD) and an isokinetic dynamometer (IKD) in the same seated condition. [Subjects and Methods] The subjects were 30 healthy volunteers. Isometric knee extension muscle strength was simultaneously measured with a HHD and an IKD by using an IKD-specific chair. The measurement was performed twice. Measurement instrument variables and the number of measurements were examined by using the analysis of variance and correlation tests. [Results] The measurement instrument variables and the number of measurements were not significantly different. The correlation coefficients between the HHD and IKD measurements were ≥0.96. [Conclusion] Isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement using the HHD in the sitting position resulted in a lower value than that using the IKD, presumably because of the effect of trunk stability on the measurement. In the same seated posture with trunk stability, no significant difference in measurement values was observed between the HHD and IKD. The present findings suggest that trunk stability while seated during isometric knee extension muscle strength measurement influenced the HHD measurement.

To investigate the validity of a measurement method using a hand-held dynamometer (HHD) fixed by a belt in the measurement of shoulder muscle strength. [Subjects] Twenty healthy young adults. [Method] Measurements of upper limb muscle strength in shoulder flexion, extension, abduction, and internal and external rotation were made by two testers (A and B) with a HHD. The validity of the measurements made with the HHD were investigated using the values of Biodex measurements as an external standard. [Results] Pearson correlation coefficients showed that for both of the testers, there were significant correlations between the testers' measurements and the Biodex standard for all of the items measured. [Conclusion] Shoulder muscle strength measurements made with a HDD and belt have high validity, and they should provide data which is robust in comparison to other methods in clinical practice.

The objective of this study was to analyze the factors influencing the approval of care/ support needs of community-dwelling elderly persons using day-care centers. [Subjects] The subjects were 54 community-dwelling elderly persons (16 males, 38 females) day-care center users who were capable of answering questions and walking indoors without supervision. [Methods] The assessment items were: age, disease, level of care need, TUG, CS-30, Barthel Index (BI) and the TMIG index of competence (TMIG-IC). Multiple regression logistic analysis was performed with the approval level of care need as the dependent variable, and age, main disease, TUG, CS-30, BI and TMIG-IC as the independent variables. [Results] Age, CS-30 and BI were identified as the factors affecting level of care. [Conclusion] The results suggest that the ability to perform activities and the CS-30 are more important in the approval of care/support needs than the type of disease.