Turkish Journal of Geriatrics 2011 , Vol 14, Issue 1
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FUNCTIONALITY, PERFORMANCE, REACTION TIME AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE ELDERLY
Necmiye ÜN YILDIRIM1, Nuriye ÖZENGİN1, Özlem ÇINAR ÖZDEMİR1, Feray GÖKDOĞAN2
1Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi Kemal Demir Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon Yüksekokulu, Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon, BOLU
2Abant İzzet Baysal Üniversitesi, Sağlık Yüksekokulu, BOLU
Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between functionality, performance, reaction time and the quality of life in the elderly.

Materials and Method: The study sample consisted of 98 subjects 65 years of age and over. A survey was conducted to identify their demographic features. Mini Mental State Test was administered to evaluate cognitive functioning levels of the subjects, and their quality of life was evaluated by Nottingham Health Profile. In addition, the lower extremity performance was measured by chair sit-to-stand test, functionality was assessed by stair climb power test, and the reaction time was measured by Newtest Reaction Timer.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 73.24±6.10 years. Of the subjects 51% were male, 40% were married and 51% had primary education. A significant negative relation was found between the Nottingham total scores and functionality and performance (p<0.05), however, no relationship was observed in relation to the reaction times. According to the results of the linear regression analysis, functionality was the most influential variable on quality of life (p<0.05).

Conclusion: Identifying the functional muscle power loss and effects of this loss on quality of life in aging is essential for the elderly. Keywords : Aged; Psychomotor Performance; Reaction Time; Quality of Life