Study of self-report and performance-based measures of physical functioning

Clinical geriatrics and aging research rely heavily on the evaluation of physical functioning. This information is generally assessed through self-report. In addition to the self-report of physical functioning, the use of performance-based measures is becoming more common. The two measures together, self-report and performance-based, are frequently being used to better assess patients' functional ability. The purpose of this study was to examine whether a relationship existed between the two measures of physical functioning; and whether there was a difference between males and females in regard to these measures. A nonexperimental, correlational study using a convenience sample of patients 65 or older undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) was used. The patients responded to a self-report of physical functioning using the SF-36 general health survey. An objective physical performance measure was obtained using the timed chair-stand test. A final sample of 15 was derived from a larger sample of patients enrolled in a study of functional outcomes in elder TKA patients. (Upper Body Strength as a Predictor of Functional Outcomes in Geriatric Total Knee Arthroplasty Patients: A Pilot Study). The results of this study showed no significant relationship between the self-report and the performance-based measures of physical functioning in the population studied. In addition, there was no significant difference between men and women with regard to these two functional assessment measures.