Examination of the Usefulness of the Obstacle-Single Leg forward Step (OSFS) Test for Evaluating Fall Risk

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the usefulness of the Obstacle-Single leg forward step (OSFS) test for evaluating fall risk and fall-related physical fitness. One hundred and eighty four older women were divided into fallers (n = 47) who had a fall experience within the last year and non-fallers who had not (n = 137). In the OSFS test, they stepped forward over an obstacle and returned to their original position five times as quickly as possible. The OSFS test was also examined in the following divided phases: the OSFS-F phase in which participants stepped out and the OSFS-R phase in which they returned to the stepped leg. A mean time of five steps was used for analysis. In addition, the 10-meter walk and one leg standing with open eyes tests were conducted and the better times were used for analysis. The times of the non-fallers were shorter in the OSFS test, 10-meter walk time, and were longer in the one-leg standing time than those of the fallers (p-value: OSFS 0.025, 10-meter 0.046, One-leg standing time 0.028). A significant difference was found only in the OSFS-R, the non-fallers showed shorter time than the fallers (p-value: OSFS-F 0.354, OSFS-R 0.010). The OSFS test can discriminate the difference between fallers and non-fallers with the same accuracy as the 10-meter walk time and one-leg standing time tests.

Differences between Fallers by Tripping and Nonfallers in the OSFS Test

“…Further, the effect size in the OSFS-R phase was relatively larger compared with that of the OSFS-F phase (ES: OSFS-B = 0.86, OSFS-F = 0.62). Shin et al, [18] reported that there were no significant differences between the fallers and nonfallers in the OSFS-F phase. Therefore, a fall risk may be better explained by the OSFS-R phase values, where the stepped leg is returned to the original position compared with the OSFS-F phase values, where the subject is stepping over an obstacle.…”