The Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test: Reliability and validity for measuring balance in late midlife women

The objective of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the ‘Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test’, a new high level balance test involving balancing on the forefoot, and to assess its ability to measure age based performance for women entering their sixties. Test-retest reliability was assessed with 28 healthy women aged 58-69. To determine concurrent validity, 195 women (mean age = 61.6 yr) were screened, and unimpaired women performed the Step Test, the Single Leg Stance test (with eyes open/closed, on firm or foam surface), and the Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test. The test-retest Intraclass Correlation Coefficient was 0.96, indicating high retest reliability. Of the currently used balance tests, the Single Leg Stance test with eyes closed gave the broadest distribution of results and its performance time correlated with the Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test (r = 0.63, p < 0.001), demonstrating the concurrent validity of the new test. Performance time for Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test was associated with age, with younger women performing better (median of 6.5 seconds for women 58-62 years old, p = 0.01), and older women having more difficulty. Age based normative data were constructed for subgroups of women (mean ages = 60 and 64). In conclusion, the ‘Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test’ test is reliable and valid in measuring high level balance in women up to their early 60’s. Clark MS (2007): The Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test: Reliability and validity for measuring balance in late midlife women. New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy 35(3): 110-118.