• Ji Eun Lee, Hyejin Chun, Young Sang Kim, Hee Won Jung, Il Young Jang, Hyun Min Cha, Ki Young Son, Belong Cho, In Soon Kwon, and Jong Lull Yoon.
• Department of Family Medicine, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea.
• J. Korean Med. Sci. 2020 Jan 20; 35 (3): e25e25.

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate the association between baseline results of the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test and subsequent functional dependency occurrence.MethodsFrom the National Health Insurance Service-Senior Cohort database, we identified 39,519 people who participated in the National Screening Program for Transitional Ages at the age of 66 during 2007-2008. Impaired mobility was defined as taking 10 seconds or longer to perform the TUG test. Functional dependency occurrence was defined as the initiation of receiving national Long-Term Care Insurance services-home care or admission to long-term care facilities. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to assess the hazard ratios (HRs) for dependency occurrence according to baseline TUG test results.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 5.7 years. Occurrence rates of dependency were 2.0 and 3.4 cases per 1,000 person-years in the normal and impaired TUG groups, respectively. Impaired mobility was associated with a higher risk of functional dependency occurrence (adjusted HR [aHR], 1.65; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.40-1.95; P < 0.001). Additionally, in the subgroup analysis for the participants with intact baseline activities of daily living, impaired mobility was associated with a higher risk of dependency occurrence (aHR, 1.65; 95% CI, 1.33-2.04; P < 0.001).ConclusionThe TUG test might be a useful predictive marker of subsequent functional dependency occurrence. Intervention to prevent functional dependency may be helpful for older adults with impairment on the TUG test.© 2020 The Korean Academy of Medical Sciences.

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