Dataset Information

Upper Quarter Y Balance test performance: Normative values for healthy youth aged 10 to 17 years.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The Upper Quarter Y Balance test (YBT-UQ) is a field test for measuring shoulder mobility/stability. However, there is a lack of information regarding age- and sex-specific reference values for classifying the YBT-UQ performance of children and adolescents.

Objective

The aim was to investigate YBT-UQ performance in youth and to provide age- and sex-specific normative values.

Method

Six hundred and sixty-five persons (325 girls, 340 boys) aged between 10 and 17 years carried out the YBT-UQ test. Following this, maximum reach values, normalised in terms of arm length, were calculated for each arm (i.e., left and right) and reach direction (i.e., medial [MD], inferolateral [IL], superolateral [SL]), and the composite score (CS) per arm. Additionally, percentiles were displayed graphically and in tabular form, distinguished according to age and gender.

Results

In boys, those aged 14-15 years showed a higher achievement (e.g., MD direction) compared with both younger (12-13-year-olds) and older (16-17-year-olds) persons. In girls, differences related to age could only be observed for the IL direction and the CS, where the youngest age group (10-11-year-olds) achieved better results than the older groups. Sex-specific differences to the girls' advantage could be observed in 12-13-year-olds (i.e., SL and CS), and to the boys' advantage in 14-15-year-olds (i.e., for all reach directions) and 16-17-year-olds (i.e., IL and SL direction and CS). Further, curvilinear developments were observed with regard to the 10th, 50th, and 90th percentiles, and were more strongly marked in boys than in girls.

Conclusions

The obtained age- and sex-specific normative values for the YBT-UQ can be used by teachers, coaches, and therapists to classify the level of shoulder mobility/stability among 10-17 year-old children and adolescents.

SUBMITTER: Schwiertz G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8213051 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:Background:Olympic handball is a sport mainly focused on executing throwing and passing techniques with the throwing arm. Functional specialization due to the unilateral characteristic and dominance of the throwing arm may lead to adapted control of shoulder stability and mobility. Thus, we examined side differences between the throwing and the non-throwing arm. Additionally, correlations between the Upper Quarter Y Balance Test (YBT-UQ) and handball-specific performance measures were investigated. Methods:All participants (F?=?13?yrs., n?=?14, training experience [te] 5.9?±?1.3?yrs.; M?=?14?yrs., n?=?24, te 6.5?±?2.5?yrs.; M?=?15?yrs., n?=?18, te 9.3?±?2.2?yrs) were Olympic handball players of a regional youth selection team. YBT-UQ was executed assessing performance in medial, inferolateral and superolateral reach direction normalized to the upper limb length together with a composite score of the mean of all reach directions. A radar gun and a target net were used for the assessment of throwing velocity and throwing accuracy. The paired t-test was used to detect side differences in YBT-UQ performance. Pearson's correlation analysis was calculated for associations between YBT-UQ and throwing velocity/accuracy. Results:Significant differences between the throwing and non-throwing arm were only detected for the superolateral reach direction in the 14-year-old males. Small correlations between YBT-UQ performance and throwing velocity/accuracy (13-year-old females: -?0.01???r???-?0.37 / 0.01???r???0.31; 14-year-old males: 0.10???r???0.45 / -0.01???r???.-0.51; 15-year-old males: 0.06???r???0.34 / 0.01???r???-?0.45) were observed, irrespective of age and sex category. Conclusions:There was only a minimal difference in performance of the YBT-UQ between the throwing and non-throwing arm and only weak if any relationships between throwing performance and stability/mobility of the upper extremities in adolescent Olympic handball players existed. Further research is needed to investigate whether the YBT-UQ is a useful tool to detect training-related improvements in measures of shoulder stability/mobility and functional performance.