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Background/Aims Although strength, power and balance are associated with the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test in older adults, the relative contribution of each to sit-to-stand performance is unclear. This study compared the strength of association between the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test and measures of balance, knee extensor strength, and lower limb power in older adults. Methods A total of 41 community-dwelling older adults completed the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test and tests of balance, knee extensor strength, and lower limb power. Results The strongest association observed was between the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test and dynamic balance (rs= −0.61, P<0.001), with a moderate association observed between the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test and power (rs= −0.52, P=0.001). Conclusions Dynamic balance and lower limb power are determinants of, and play roles in the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test performance in community-dwelling older adults. Dynamic balance was the strongest determinant of Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test performance, suggesting that the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test should not be viewed solely as a proxy measure of knee extensor strength in community-dwelling older adults.

Objective Academic physical therapy has no universal metrics by which educational programs can measure outcomes, limiting their ability to benchmark to their own historical performance, to peer institutions, or to other healthcare professions. The PT-GQ survey, adapted from the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Graduation Questionnaire, addresses this gap by offering both inter-professional insight and fine-scale assessment of physical therapist education. This study reports the first wave of findings from an ongoing multi-site trial of the PT-GQ among diverse academic physical therapy programs, including: 1) benchmarks for academic physical therapy, and 2) a comparison of the physical therapist student experience to medical education benchmarks. Methods Thirty-four doctor of physical therapy (DPT) programs (13.2% nationwide sample) administered the online survey to DPT graduates during the 2019–2020 academic year. PT-GQ and AAMC data were contrasted via Welch’s unequal-variance t-test and Hedges’ g (effect size). Results A total of 1025 respondents participated in the study (response rate: 63.9%). Average survey duration was 31.8 minutes. Overall educational satisfaction was comparable to medicine, and respondents identified areas of curricular strength (eg, anatomy) and weakness (eg, pharmacology). DPT respondents provided higher ratings of faculty professionalism than medicine, lower rates of student mistreatment, and a lesser impact of within-program diversity upon their training. One-third of respondents were less than “Satisfied” with student mental health services. DPT respondents reported significantly higher Exhaustion but lower Disengagement than medical students, along with lower Tolerance for Ambiguity. Of DPT respondents who reported educational debt, one-third reported debt exceeding $150,000, the threshold above which the DPT degree loses economic power. Conclusions These academic benchmarks, using the PT-GQ, provided insight into physical therapist education and identified differences between physical therapist and medical student perceptions. Impact This ongoing trial will establish a comprehensive set of benchmarks to better understand academic physical therapy outcomes.

Age-related changes in physical abilities, such as strength and flexibility, contribute to functional losses. However, older individuals may be unaware of what specific physical abilities compromise independent functioning. Three groups of women, aged 60 to 69, 70 to 79, and 80 to 92 years, were administered the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) to determine age differences in physical abilities and risk for functional losses. The oldest group showed significant differences in lower body strength, aerobic endurance, and agility and dynamic balance when compared with the other groups who performed similarly. Across all groups, a faster rate of decline was found for lower body strength (50.6%) and dynamic balance and agility (45.7%) than upper body strength (21.3%) and aerobic endurance (33.6%). Criterion-referenced (CR) fitness standards suggested that 45% of the individuals were at risk for loss of independent functioning. This study highlights age-related differences in physical abilities and the risk for the loss of independence in later life.