Reliability and Validity of the One Arm Hop Test and Seated Medicine Ball Throw Test in Young Adults: A Cross-sectional Study

Background: Functional performance tests are inexpensive, accessible, and easy to apply tools that can be used to help practitioners in daily decision making process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the One Arm Hop Test (OAHT) and Seated Medicine Ball Throw Test (SBMT) in young adults.

Methods: Cross-sectional study with a sample consisted of 59 young adults. The subjects performed the OAHT and SMBT in two moments separated by seven days and by two examiners. The Closed Kinetic Chain Upper Extremity Stability Test (CKCUEST) was performed at the second moment. The time in OAHT, distance in SMBT, mean number of touches, normalized score, and power of the CKCUEST were measured. Reliability was determined using Intraclass Correlation Coeficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman Plots. Validity was assessed via Pearson's Correlation Coefficient (r) between these tests and CKCUEST.

Results: We found good reliability of the OAHT between different raters (dominant limb - ICC = 0.83; non-dominant limb - ICC = 0.80) and moderate reliability between the same rater (dominant limb - ICC = 0.63; non-dominant limb - ICC = 0.62). In the SMBT we found good reliability inter-examiner (ICC = 0.84) and intra-examiner (ICC = 0.77). Low to moderate correlations with the CKCUEST were found (r < 0.70; p < 0.05).

Conclusions: The OAHT and the SMBT show moderate/good reliability intra and inter-examiner, however these tests are poorly correlated with CKCUEST. The SMBT presented higher values of ICC than OAHT. A combination of the SMBT and CKCUEST is recommended in clinical practice.