Reliability and Validity of Push-Up 360: A Novel Composite Test for Assessing Upper Extremity Physical Performance

Physical performance tests (PPTs) play a crucial role in sports medicine, rehabilitation, and RTS decision making. Nevertheless, such tools as CKCUEST, UQ-YBT and SMBT measure isolated components and do not reflect the multi-planar dynamic requirements of upper extremity dominant sports. No single clinically practical test comprehensively assesses strength, endurance, dynamic stability, coordination and power. To design the Push-Up 360 test and determine its reliability and validity. Sports academies and gyms in Pimpri, Pune, India. A correlational exploratory study was done on 137 fitness enthusiasts (1835 years) who participated in upper extremity-dominant sports. The participants were recruited through purposive sampling and met inclusion criteria, such as absence of recent shoulder injury and minimum standards of push-up performance. Reliability and validity were determined by correlation with standard upper extremity performance tests (CKCUEST, UQ-YBT, SMBT). The Push-Up 360 test showed excellent inter- (α = 0.994) and intra-rater (α > 0.99) reliability (p < 0.0001). It had significant negative correlations with CKCUEST (r = −0.208, p = 0.018) and UQ-YBT (r = −0.233, p = 0.008), but not with SMBT (r = −0.120, p = 0.174). Regression analysis identified CKCUEST (β = −1.269, p = 0.042) and UQ-YBT (β = −0.213, p = 0.022) as significant predictors (F = 3.909, p = 0.010). The Push-Up 360 test is a four-level grading, reliable, and valid multi-dimensional test of upper extremity performance, which improves clinical applicability. Push-Up 360 is an upper extremity composite PPT with strength, endurance, coordination, stability and power assessments to address a key gap in upper extremity assessment, particularly in primary healthcare settings.