Reference values for the five-times-sit-to-stand test: a pooled analysis including 45,470 participants from 14 countries

The aim of this study was to establish reference values for the Five-Times-Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST) in a large, population-representative sample from 14 European countries. Data were collected among 45,470 participants aged 50 + years, as part of the 5th wave of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe. The reference values for the FTSST were calculated as the 5th, 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, 70th, 80th, 90th, and the 95th weighted percentile. The analyses were stratified by age and sex. For females, the best performance on the FTSST was observed among the 50-54-year-olds (5th percentile = 18 s; 50th percentile = 10 s; 95th percentile = 6 s) and the worst among 85-89-year-olds and ≥ 90-year-olds (5th percentile = 28 s; 50th percentile = 15 s; 95th percentile = 9 s). For males, the best performance was observed among the 55-59-year-olds (5th percentile = 18 s; 50th percentile = 9 s; 95th percentile = 5 s). The worst performance for males was observed among ≥ 90-year-olds (5th percentile = 26 s; 50th percentile = 15 s; 95th percentile = 9 s), even though the 10th percentile was higher (poorer performance) among 85-89-year-olds. The reference values indicate poorer performance on the test among females and in older age groups. The provided reference values for FTSST can be used for health screening, surveillance, and intervention planning, as they enable an interpretation of test results according to sex and age.