Physical performance and short-term mortality in very old Mexican Americans

Background/Study Context: Physical performance measures have been found to be strong predictors of adverse outcomes in aging populations. Few studies have examined the predictive ability of physical performance measures exclusively within populations of the very old. This study explores the predictive ability of the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and its three subcomponents - a timed walk, balance test, and repeated timed chair stands - on mortality in a sample of Mexican Americans aged 75 and older. Methods: Logistic regression analyses were used with data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE), to investigate the relationship between timed walk, balance test, repeated timed chair stands, and the SPPB and mortality over a 2-year period. Results: The authors find that being unable to complete the timed walk, the balance test, and repeated timed chair stands, or unable to complete any of the SPPB was significantly associated with mortality over 2 years. Conclusion: These findings indicate that physical performance measures may be less predictive of short-term mortality in very old Mexican Americans than previously thought. More research is needed to understand this relationship.