Physical & Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 30(2):73–84, 2012 C  2012 by Informa Healthcare USA, Inc. Available online at http://informahealthcare.com/potg DOI: 10.3109/02703181.2012.662269 Relationship Between Self-Reported Functional Limitations and Physical Performance Status Among Aged Home Care Clients Heikki Heinonen 1 , Arja R. Aro 2 , Sihvonen Sanna 3 , Pilvikki Absetz 1 , Raisa Valve 4 , Mikael Fogelholm 5 , & Antti Uutela 1 1 Department of Life Style and Participation, National Institute of Welfare and Health, Helsinki, Finland, 2 Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Esbjerg, Denmark, 3 University of Applied Sciences, Jyv¨ askyl¨ a, Finland, 4 Palmenia Center for Continuing Education, University of Helsinki, Lahti, Finland, 5 Department of food and consumption, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ABSTRACT. Objective: This study investigated relationship between self-reported functional limitations and measured physical performance among aged homecare clients. Design: Baseline measurement of a physical performance intervention. Setting: Health centers in six semi-urban and rural municipalities in Finland. Participants: One hundred and seventy-one aged (mean age 82 years.) home care clients. Measurements: Self-reported limitations in activities of daily living (ADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), functional balance by the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), physical per- formance by the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the 10-meter walking time test, and the hand grip strength test. Results: Signifcant interdependencies between the number of functional limitations and the measured performance status were found. In the hierarchical regression model, measures of performance status explained 40% of the variance of the functional limitations. Conclusions: A threshold of physical performance status on which people seem to report no or minimal limitation was found. Physical per- formance measures are independent predictors of functional limitations, and therefore, interventions should directly address factors associated with physical performance in order to enhance autonomy of aged persons. KEYWORDS. aged, physical performance, self-reported, functional limitations, euro-reves INTRODUCTION Physical function, defned generally as the ability to complete physical and cogni- tive tasks necessary for independence and adaptation to the environment, is a core Address correspondence to: Heikki Heinonen, PhD, Department of Health Promotion, National institute of health and welfare, Mannerheimintie 166, Helsinki 00300, Finland (E-mail: heikki.heinonen@thl.f). (Received 13 December 2011; accepted 26 January 2012) 73