Abstract

The five-repetition STS test (5-STS) is a field test utilized for evaluating physical function, primarily assessing the risk of falls, and is also included as a component in other assessments, such as the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). This test proves to be easily implementable and of significant clinical utility; however, no reference values are currently available for the Chilean population. Aim: To establish reference values for the 5-STS in the adult Chilean population. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional study encompassed data acquisition from five distinct sites across Chile. Healthy adults aged between 18 and 80 were enrolled as participants. Anthropometric measures, physical activity levels, smoking history, Borg scale assessments, and the time to complete five repetitions were registered. Reference values were subsequently established based on sex and specific age categories. Results: 463 subjects were included in the study, comprising 269 women. The median (and LIN) of time of 5 repetitions in women was: 18-29 years: 7.4 (10.6), 30-39 years: 7.7 (11.4), 40-49 years: 8.5 (13.1), 50-59 years: 9.2 (14.0), 60-69 years: 9.7 (15.3) and 70-80 years: 11.3 (17.7). While in men it was: 18-29 years: 7.8 (10.3), 30-39 years: 6.5 (11.4), 40-49 years: 8.1 (11.5), 50-59 years: 9.8 (15.1), 60-69 years: 11 (15.8), 70-80 years: 13 (18.5). The predictive equations are as follows: Men: 5-STS= 4.698 + (age(y) * 0.096); Women: 5-STS= -3.185 + (age(y) *0.074) + (height(m) *0.055). Conclusion: This study successfully established reference values for the adult Chilean population, providing essential data for the accurate assessment of the physical capacity of the people when using the 5-STS. © Copyright 2025 Chilean Medical Journal. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.