Association of Timed Up and Down Stairs Test with Anthropometric and Physiological Parameters in Children Aged 6-14 Years: A Cross-sectional Study
Published: June 1, 2026 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.7860/JCDR/2026/87866.23516
Ahana Sah, Nandni Goel, Payal Saini, Shivani, Amit Kumar
1. Postgraduate Student, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala, Haryana, India.
2. Demonstrator, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala, Haryana, India.
3. Undergraduate Student, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala, Haryana, India.
4. Undergraduate Student, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala, Haryana, India.
5. Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala, Haryana, India.
Correspondence
Dr. Amit Kumar,
Assistant Professor, Department of Physiotherapy, Maharishi Markandeshwar Institute of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, Ambala-133207, Haryana, India.
E-mail: narwalamit336@gmail.com
Introduction: Timed Up and Down Stairs (TUDS) test is a functional movement performance as-sessment which evaluates the time consumed in order to ascend and descend a set of stairs. However, the normative reference value for the TUDS test remains limited in the Indian paediatric population. Addi-tionally, the relationship between anthropometric and physiological parameters and TUDS performance has not been adequately explored in developing countries.
Aim: To establish the reference score for TUDS performance in school-aged children of six to 14 years, as well as examine the correlation between anthropometric and physiological factors with TUDS.
Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at a sports complex located within the Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana-Ambala, Haryana, India from March 2025 to January 2026. A total of 500 healthy school-going children were recruited through purposive sam-pling. Anthropometric (age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, and bilateral limb length) and physiological measurements {Heart Rate (HR), blood pressure and Oxygen Saturation (SpO2)} were recorded, followed by TUDS testing. Statistical analysis was performed using Spearman correlation and multiple linear regression, with p-value <0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: The sample included 224 girls (44.8%) and 276 boys (55.2%) with a median age of nine years. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a significant relation with age, gender and body weight of TUDS test performance, showing (25.7%) of the variance (R2=0.257, F (14,485)=11.9, p-value <0.001). Age of the children demonstrated the strongest association, whereas height, lower limb length and physi-ological parameters showed minimal independent influence.
Conclusion: TUDS test performance was primarily determined by anthropometric factors with neg-ligible impact from physiological variables in school-aged children. Age and body size were the primary determinants of TUDS performance, highlighting the importance of maturational factors when interpreting paediatric functional mobility tests.
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