Factors of age, anthropometric characteristics and lower extremity strength on multi-directional reach test in typical children aged 7 - 12 years

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations of age, anthropometric characteristics and lower extremity strength with the Multi-Directional React Test (MDRT). Sixty children with typical development, aged 7 to 12 years old, were categorized into each age group. Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman rank correlation coefficient were conducted to examine the relationship between interesting variables (age, anthropometric characteristics and lower extremity strength) and the reach distances in forward, backward, leftward and rightward directions. The results of this study showed that multi-directional reach distances increased with age for all directions. Fair to moderate relationship (r = 0.28 – 0.58, p-value<0.05) was found between age-anthropometric variables and scores of the MDRT. In addition, a fair relationship (r = 0.27 – 0.49, p-value<0.05) was observed between lower extremity strength in several muscle groups and scores of the MDRT in each direction. The present study points out that knee flexor muscles significantly correlated best with the reach distances for all directions (r = 0.28 - 0.49, p-value<0.05). These finding may be helpful for physical therapists to comprehend the effects of interesting variables which clinically relevant on limits of stability in each direction. The MDRT is easy to assess problems in children with decreased limits of stability and also plan individualize program for balance training in the specific direction.