CRITERION-RELATED VALIDITY OF SIT-AND-REACH TEST AS A MEASURE OF HAMSTRING EXTENSIBILITY IN OLDER WOMEN

Introduction: lumbo-sacral posture and the sit-and-reach score have been proposed as measures of hamstring extensibility. However, the validity is influenced by sample characteristics. Objective: to determine the validity of lumbo-horizontal angle and score in the sit-and-reach test as measures of hamstring extensibility in older women. Method: a hundred and twenty older women performed the straight leg raise test with both leg, and the sit-and-reach test (SR) in a random order. For the sit-and-reach test, the score and the lumbo-sacral posture in bending (lumbo-horizontal angle, L-Hfx) were measured. Results and discussion: the mean values of straight leg raise in left and right leg were 81.70 +/- 13.83 degrees and 82.10 +/- 14.36 degrees, respectively. The mean value of EPR of both legs was 81.90 +/- 12.70 degrees. The mean values of SR score and L-Hfx were -1.54 +/- 8.09 cm and 91.08 degrees +/- 9.32 degrees, respectively. The correlation values between the mean straight leg raise test with respect to lumbo-sacral posture and SR score were moderate (L-Hfx: r = -0.72, p < 0.01; SR: r = 0.70, p < 0.01). Both variables independently explained about 50% of the variance (L-Hfx: R-2 = 0.52, p < 0,001; SR: R-2 = 0.49, p < 0,001). Conclusions: the validity of lumbo-sacral posture in bending as measure of hamstring muscle extensibility on older women is moderate, with similar values than SR score.