Non-apparatus safe falls preparations test (N-ASFPT) - validation procedure

Background The fall is a phenomenon whose severity is similar in dimension to every human being. N-ASFPT is the next stage of improving and the modification of the author’s injury prevention system based on the teaching safe falls and avoiding collisions. The aim of the paper is non-test apparatus test which enables the comprehen sive evaluation of motor abilities significantly supportive learning safe falls and increasing the effectiveness of shock absorption of the body colliding with the ground or vertical obstacle and then return to the stand-alone vertical posture. Material & Methods: Validation is based on the following criteria: appropriateness (relevance): (1) criterion oriented validity – concurrent validity and predictive validity; (2) content validity; (3) construct validity; reliability on the formula ‘test-retest’ (with 1 week interval). Examined 34 people aged from 22 to 25 years. Results: The safe falls preparations (SFP) saved four-digit code meets the criteria both the accurate diagnosis of the phenomenon (concurrent validity), as well as effects prognosis of safe falls education (predictive validity). The order of execution of test tasks is a kind of representation of the order of started “shock absorbers” first the fall ing body then colliding parts of the ground and then the muscles the most involved during the arising (content validity). This aspect is evidence that the measuring instrument is connected with the theoretical base – theo ry of safe falls (construct validity). High reliability of N-ASFPT shows the coefficients of correlated variables r = 0.828 to 1.000 during the ‘test-retest’ procedure. Conclusions: N-ASFPT as the accurate and reliable tool of the measurement the potential shock absorption of the fall and the independent return for the vertical posture, may be, along with the STBIDF test, widely used in the diagnosis of susceptibility to injuries during the fall and predicting the effects of safe falls education.