MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study proposal will be forwarded to Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Institutional Ethics

Committee (SVIEC) for approval.

Research Design: Obersvational Study

Study Population: Elderly population (Age 60 and above)

Source of Data: Subjects from Dhiraj general hospital, SVU Campus and in community (old

age homes / institutions in and around Vadodara Gujarat)

Sampling method: Purposive Sampling

Sample Size:
 MATERIALS AND TOOLS

 Pen

 Paper

 Chair
 INCLUSION CRITERIA

1) Elderly – 60 and above

2) Both genders

3) Individuals who are able to walk with or without assistance.

EXCLUSION CRITERIA

1) Individuals with brain disease or severe cardiovascular, pulmonary, or renal disease.

2) Individuals with mental illness.

3) Individuals with a past history of fractures of the lower extremities and/or spine within

the preceding 6 months.

4) Individuals with acute trauma that affects mobility.

 OUTCOME MEASURES

 GLFS-25
 PROCEDURE

The study will be forwarded to Sumandeep Vidyapeeth Institutional Ethics Committee (SVIEC)

for ethical approval. After obtaining approval from the committee, the study population will be

approached. They will be explained about the study and those who are willing to participate will

be requested to sign an informed consent (Annexure I). After signing the consent, Participant

information sheet (Annexure II) will be given. Subjects will be screened and assessed

(Annexure III) and those fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria will be recruited for the

study.

Those subjects who are recruited for the study, will be interviewed by the interviewer according

to the questions mentioned in GLFS-25 scale.

An assessment format will be filled for each participant in which the participant will be asked

about their age, gender, knee pain and low back pain. For the knee pain patient will be asked

“Have you experienced knee pain on most days (and continuously on at least one day) in the past

month, in addition to the current pain?” Subjects who answered “yes” were considered to have

knee pain. Lumbar pain was defined by asking the following question: ‘Have you experienced

lumbar pain/low back pain on most days (and continuously on at least one day) in the past
month, in addition to the current pain?’ Subjects who answered ‘yes’ were considered to have

low back pain.

Further the participant will be asked all the questions mentioned in GLFS-25 by the investigator

and will be scored accordingly. It consists of 25 items that are easily understood by the elderly,

and each item is graded from 0 to 4 points. The final score is the result of the sum of all items,

ranging from 0 to 100; the higher the score, the higher the physical impairment of the elderly,

and 16 is the cut off point for the diagnosis of LS. GLFS-25 covers different aspects of the last

month of the patient, with 4 questions about pain, 16 questions about activities of daily living, 3

questions about social performance and 2 questions about his/her mental health status.