Stepnicka's modification of the brace test: an investigation of dimensionality

Stepnicka's modification of the Brace Test is used to assess body coordination of athletes in the Czech Republic. This test has 10 tasks and indicates physical proficiencies, i.e., flexibility, balance, and kinesthetic perception. The purpose of this study was to examine the structure of Stepnicka's modifications of the Brace Test through Rasch analysis. The structure of physical proficiency was investigated as well. Volunteers included 62 men and 42 women (19 to 24 years old) who were undergraduate students in physical education and sport science. For Rasch analysis, the dichotomous model was employed. Analysis confirmed unidimensionality of the test, and this dimension was named Neuromuscular Ability. On the basis of this Rasch analysis, changes to Stepnicka's modification of the Brace Test were suggested.