Walking and Turning Test Performance as a Field-Based Indicator of Sit-to-Stand-Derived Relative Power in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Background and Objectives: The Walking and Turning Test (WTT) combines rapid walking and turning. We examined its association with sit-to-stand (STS)-derived relative power and compared discrimination with the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Materials and Methods: Ninety-one independently ambulatory community-dwelling older adults (65.9% women; aged ≥60 years) completed WTT, TUG, and the Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSTS). Relative STS power was estimated from the fastest FTSTS trial and anthropometry. Spearman correlations and multivariable linear regression assessed associations; exploratory receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis used published non-Thai sex-specific reference thresholds. Results: WTT time correlated with relative STS power (ρ = −0.850, p < 0.001) and FTSTS time (ρ = 0.894, p < 0.001). WTT remained associated with STS-derived relative power after adjustment for age, sex, body mass index, and TUG (standardized β = −0.716, p < 0.001; model R2 = 0.626). Thirty participants (33.0%) met the reference-based low-power classification. WTT discrimination was higher than TUG (AUC 0.917 vs. 0.754; DeLong p < 0.001). At a sample-derived cutoff of ≥7.53 s, sensitivity was 96.7% and specificity was 82.0%. Conclusions: WTT was associated with equation-derived relative STS power, potentially reflecting shared FTSTS performance rather than power-specific physiology. The preliminary cutoff requires external validation.