A new two square agility test for workplace health—reliability, validity and minimal detectable change

[Purpose] One promising strategy for workplace wellness programs is to emphasize functional mobility screening and coaching to promote suitable physical activity and reduce musculoskeletal risks. This study examined intra-rater reliability, test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, known-groups validity and minimal detectable change for a new Two Square Agility Test (TSAT) designed as a functional mobility measure to promote workplace health. [Participants and Methods] Two hundred forty eight non-disabled participants (ages 18–69) were measured for body size, physical activity and 3 trials of the Two Square Agility Test. 78 participants were tested a week later on the Two Square Agility Test and other functional mobility tests. [Results] Intra-rater reliability was excellent (ICC=0.94) and test-retest reliability was good (ICC=0.87). Two Square Agility Test correlated moderately with Timed Up and Go (r=0.63), Five Times Sit to Stand (r=0.62), and Maximum Step Length (r= −0.54), supporting its concurrent validity. Performances for Two Square Agility Test were better in males, younger age, higher physical activity, and non-obese groups. The minimal detectable change at a 95% confidence level (MDC(95)) was 1.37 s. [Conclusion] Preliminary results supported reliability and validity of Two Square Agility Test as a functional mobility measure to promote workplace health.