1000 Norms Project: protocol of a cross-sectional study cataloging human variation

Marnee J McKay; Jennifer N Baldwin; Paulo Ferreira; Milena Simic; Natalie Vanicek; Claire E Hiller; Elizabeth J Nightingale; Niamh A Moloney; Kate G Quinlan; Fereshteh Pourkazemi; Amy D Sman; Leslie L Nicholson; Seyed J Mousavi; Kristy Rose; Jacqueline Raymond; Martin G Mackey; Angus Chard; Markus Hübscher; Caleb Wegener; Alycia Fong Yan; Kathryn M Refshauge; Joshua Burns; 1000 Norms Project Consortium

doi:10.1016/j.physio.2014.12.002

1000 Norms Project: protocol of a cross-sectional study cataloging human variation

Physiotherapy. 2016 Mar;102(1):50-6. doi: 10.1016/j.physio.2014.12.002. Epub 2015 Jan 22.

Authors

Marnee J McKay¹, Jennifer N Baldwin², Paulo Ferreira³, Milena Simic⁴, Natalie Vanicek⁵, Claire E Hiller⁶, Elizabeth J Nightingale⁷, Niamh A Moloney⁸, Kate G Quinlan⁹, Fereshteh Pourkazemi¹⁰, Amy D Sman¹¹, Leslie L Nicholson¹², Seyed J Mousavi¹³, Kristy Rose¹⁴, Jacqueline Raymond¹⁵, Martin G Mackey¹⁶, Angus Chard¹⁷, Markus Hübscher¹⁷, Caleb Wegener¹⁷, Alycia Fong Yan¹⁸, Kathryn M Refshauge¹⁹, Joshua Burns²⁰; 1000 Norms Project Consortium

Affiliations

¹ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: marnee.mckay@sydney.edu.au.
² Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jbal2575@uni.sydney.edu.au.
³ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: paulo.ferreira@sydney.edu.au.
⁴ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: milena.simic@sydney.edu.au.
⁵ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: natalie.vanicek@sydney.edu.au.
⁶ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: claire.hiller@sydney.edu.au.
⁷ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jean.nightingale@sydney.edu.au.
⁸ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: niamh.maloney@mq.edu.au.
⁹ Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: kate.qunilan@sydney.edu.au.
¹⁰ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: f.pourkazemi@uws.edu.au.
¹¹ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia. Electronic address: amy.sman@sydney.edu.au.
¹² Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: leslie.nicholson@uni.sydney.edu.au.
¹³ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: seyed.mousavi@sydney.edu.au.
¹⁴ Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
¹⁵ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: jacqui.raymond@sydney.edu.au.
¹⁶ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: martin.mackey@sydney.edu.au.
¹⁷ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia.
¹⁸ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: alicia.fongyan@sydney.edu.au.
¹⁹ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia. Electronic address: kathryn.refshauge@sydney.edu.au.
²⁰ Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, 75 East Street, Lidcombe, NSW 2151, Australia; Paediatric Gait Analysis Service of New South Wales, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia. Electronic address: joshua.burns@health.nsw.gov.au.

PMID: 25733400
DOI: 10.1016/j.physio.2014.12.002

Abstract

Background: Clinical decision-making regarding diagnosis and management largely depends on comparison with healthy or 'normal' values. Physiotherapists and researchers therefore need access to robust patient-centred outcome measures and appropriate reference values. However there is a lack of high-quality reference data for many clinical measures. The aim of the 1000 Norms Project is to generate a freely accessible database of musculoskeletal and neurological reference values representative of the healthy population across the lifespan.

Methods/design: In 2012 the 1000 Norms Project Consortium defined the concept of 'normal', established a sampling strategy and selected measures based on clinical significance, psychometric properties and the need for reference data. Musculoskeletal and neurological items tapping the constructs of dexterity, balance, ambulation, joint range of motion, strength and power, endurance and motor planning will be collected in this cross-sectional study. Standardised questionnaires will evaluate quality of life, physical activity, and musculoskeletal health. Saliva DNA will be analysed for the ACTN3 genotype ('gene for speed'). A volunteer cohort of 1000 participants aged 3 to 100 years will be recruited according to a set of self-reported health criteria. Descriptive statistics will be generated, creating tables of mean values and standard deviations stratified for age and gender. Quantile regression equations will be used to generate age charts and age-specific centile values.

Discussion: This project will be a powerful resource to assist physiotherapists and clinicians across all areas of healthcare to diagnose pathology, track disease progression and evaluate treatment response. This reference dataset will also contribute to the development of robust patient-centred clinical trial outcome measures.

Keywords: Healthy; Lifespan; Physical assessment; Reference values.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Child
Child, Preschool
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise
Female
Health Status*
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Muscle Strength
Musculoskeletal Pain
Psychometrics
Quality of Life*
Range of Motion, Articular
Reference Values
Self Efficacy
Surveys and Questionnaires / standards*
Work Capacity Evaluation
Young Adult