Overview of studies that assessed the validity and/or reliability of fitness tests during pregnancy
| Reference (authors, year) | Validity | Reliability | Capacity evaluated, short test description and maternal and neonatal health outcomes or statistical results | Quality score |
| Cardio-respiratory fitness | ||||
| Yeo et al (2005)74 | Yes | Yes | Cornell Protocol on treadmill platform. Validity: Bland-Altman plots. The mean difference was 4.4±3.6 mL/kg/min. Data indicated that VO2000 overestimates VO2 by an average of 4.4 mL/kg/min compared with CPX/D. Pearson correlation coefficient between the average and difference of paired measurements was close but not significant (r=0.48; p>0.01). Reliability: Paired t test (t (45)=3.9, p<0.001). Linear regression: y=0.96 X-1.6; 95% CI for the slope: 0.94 to 1.1; R2=0.91, p<0.001 | 4–8 |
| Mottola et al (2006)75 | Yes | No | Modified Balke protocol on treadmill platform. Validity: Pearson Correlation: R2=0.72, R2 adjusted=0.71 and SEE=2.7 (The prediction equation was compared with cross validation (n=39; p=0.78). | 5 |
| Muscular fitness | ||||
| Gutke et al (2008)121 | No | Yes | Maximal voluntary isometric hip extension Reliability: Spearman’s r and Intercorrelation coefficient (ICC). Right leg: r=0.82; ICC=0.87. Left leg: r=0.88; ICC=0.85 (both p value no reported). | 3 |
| Yenişehir et al (2020)117 | No | Yes | Five Times Sit to Stand Test (5TSS) Reliability: Inter-rater reliability of 5TSS was excellent for subjects with and without pregnancy-related pelvic girdle pain (ICC ¼ 0.999, 95% CI ¼ 0.999 to 1.000; ICC ¼ 0.999, 95% CI ¼ 0.999 to 0.999, respectively). Test–retest reliability of 5TSS was also very high for subjects with and without PGP (ICC ¼ 0.986, 95% CI ¼ 0.959 to 0.995: ICC ¼ 0.828, 95% CI ¼ 0.632 to 0.920, respectively). | 5–7 |
| Flexibility | ||||
| Lindgren and Kristiansson (2014)126 | No | Yes | Ad hoc passive abduction of the left fourth finger. Reliability: Intraindividual coefficient of variance. (1) Between the first and second measurement=0.077; (2) Between the second and third=0.070 and between the third and fourth=0.071. | 2 |
| Speed | ||||
| Evensen et al (2015)168 | No | Yes | Ten metres Timed walk Test Reliability: ICC from a one-way random effects model and reporting the 95% CI. Coefficients for test–retest reliability for 10mTWT: (ICC=0.74; 95% CI=0.42 to 0.90; SEM=0.17 m/s; MDC95=0.47 m/s) Coefficients for intertester reliability 10mTWT: (ICC=0.94; 95% CI=0.82 to 0.98; SEM=0.09 m/s; MDC95=0.25 m/s). | 8 |
| Evensen et al (2016)169 | Yes | No | Ten metres Timed walk Test Validity: Spearman correlation coefficient. Between the 10mTWT and ASLR (r=−0.65, p=0.003). Between the 10mTWT and PGQ (r=−0.25 to −0.56). | 3 |
| Multidimensional | ||||
| Evensen et al (2015)168 | No | Yes | Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) Reliability: ICC from a one-way random effects model and reporting the 95% CI. Coefficients for test–retest reliability TUG: (ICC=0.88; 95% CI 0.70 to 0.95; SEM=0.42 s; MDC95=1.16 s.) Coefficients for intertester reliability TUG: (ICC=0.95; 95% CI 0.84 to 0.98; SEM=0.36 m/s; MDC95=1.00 m/s). | 8 |
| Evensen et al (2016)169 | Yes | No | TUG Validity: Spearman correlation coefficient. Between the TUG and ASLR (rs=0.73, p=0.001). Between the TUG and ASLR (rs=0.73, p=0.001). Between the TUG and PGQ (rs=0.41 to 0.52). | 3 |
ASLR, Active Straight Leg Raised; MDC, minimal detectable change; 10mTWT, Ten-metre Timed Walk Test; PGP, Pelvic girdle pain; SEM, SE of measurement.