Concurrent Validity of Functional Gait Assessment, Timed Up and Go, and Gait Speed Tests in Persian Community-Dwelling Older Adults

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the concurrent validity of the Farsi version of Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), Timed Up & Go (TUG), and Gait Speed tests in Persian community- dwelling older adults. Subjects were 100 male in falling or no falling history group (50 subjects in each groups). Subjects were community-dwelling adults aged 60- 90 years of Tehran. Each subject completed FGA, TUG, and GS tests one time and was scored simultaneously by one tester. Results show that the FGA and the TUG test were negative and significant correlated (r=-0.81; P<0.01), FGA and the Gait speed test were negative and significant correlated (r= - 0.77; P<0.01) and also TUG test and the Gait speed test were positive and significant correlated (r= 0.67; P<0.01). Concurrent validity has been established for the FGA, TUG and Gait speed tests in Persian community-dwelling older adults with and without fall history. FGA, TUG and Gait Speed tests are an appropriate gait and balance tools for people with and without fall history, and appear to be more sensitive in identifying and discriminating Persian elderly at risk of falling.