RESUMO
<b>Purpose:</b> To investigate the factorial structure of physical fitness of male paraplegics with thoracic or lumbar spinal cord injury and to develop a battery of field tests for predicting their general physical fitness level.<b>Methods:</b> Fifty-three active male paraplegics with spinal cord injury (PSCI) (age range: 18-54; spinal cord injury level: T4 to L4) were examined. Thirteen feasible variables were selected using physical fitness components based on the International Committee for the Standardization of Physical Fitness Tests and previous PSCI studies. Factor analysis was applied to 14 variables; 13 of these involved physical fitness tests stratified by age to determine the factorial structure of physical fitness variables. Multiple regression analysis was performed to obtain a linear regression equation using a representative variable for each factor in the factorial structure as an independent variable. A first principal component score was obtained by principal component analysis using each variable as a dependent variable.<b>Results:</b> For factorial structure, wheelchair driving ability (3-minute shuttle run), body composition (sebum thickness), respiratory function (vital capacity) and shoulder joint extension force factors were obtained. The results of multiple regression analysis involved 5 variables (the 4 above-mentioned variables plus age); and the first principal component score of each subject from all variables provided a significant linear regression equation (r = 0.934, <i>P</i> ＜0.01) when the body composition factor was excluded.<b>Conclusions:</b> The representative measurement variables obtained from the factorial structure allowed for the development of a battery of field tests for predicting general physical fitness level of PSCI.
