Ability to sit and rise from the floor as a predictor of all-cause mortality.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Retrospective cohort follow-up study
PubMed 23242910 · doi:10.1177/2047487312471759
What was done
A retrospective cohort study evaluated 2,002 adults aged 51–80 years (68% men) who performed a sitting-rising test (SRT) to and from the floor. Sitting and rising were each scored from 0 to 5, subtracting one point for each support used (hand or knee), yielding a composite score from 0 to 10. Participants were stratified into four categories: 0–3, 3.5–5.5, 6–7.5, and 8–10. All-cause mortality was tracked over a median follow-up of 6.3 years.
What was found
Over median follow-up, 159 deaths (7.9%) occurred. Lower SRT scores were associated with higher mortality (p < 0.001). Adjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, hazard ratios for mortality compared to the highest category (8–10) were 5.44 (95% CI 3.1–9.5) for scores 0–3, 3.44 (95% CI 2.0–5.9) for scores 3.5–5.5, and 1.84 (95% CI 1.1–3.0) for scores 6–7.5 (p < 0.001). Each 1-unit increase in SRT score was associated with a 21% improvement in survival.
Why it matters
The sitting-rising test provides a simple, non-invasive, and equipment-free functional assessment of musculoskeletal fitness that strongly predicts all-cause mortality in middle-aged and older adults.
Limits
The study was retrospective and observational, meaning causality cannot be established. Adjustment was limited to age, sex, and BMI in the reported model; major potential confounders such as smoking status, cardiorespiratory fitness, baseline chronic diseases, and medications were not reported in the abstract. The cohort was predominantly male (68%).
Cited by
- supports Performance on the sit-and-rise test is correlated with longevity and mortality outcomes.