Functional state of the dynamic component of the postular balance in elderly women and its determinants

Abstract

The aim of the study was to determine the indicators of the dynamic component of the postural balance and subjective characteristics of the functional state of the body in elderly women with postural instability. Methods. The study involved 246 healthy women aged 60-74 years living in an urban environment. The sample was divided into two groups: those who had falls (n = 95) and those without falls (n = 151). Analysis of the postural balance was carried out using the computer-based posturographic system Balance Master (USA) and included the following tests: Sit to stand, Simple walking, Tandem walk, Step/ quick turn and Step up/over. The assessment of the quality of life, situational and personal anxiety, subjectively experienced age (SEA) and the rate of aging were given. Results. Most of the studied indicators of the dynamic component of the postural balance were reduced in the group of women with falls compared to the group of women without falls. Women with falls needed much more time to perform complex motor acts (p = 0,016), they showed lower speed of simple (p = 0,026) and tandem (p = 0,030) walking and higher step width in tandem walking (p = 0,016), and they also had a higher level of anxiety (р = 0,012) and a lower level of physical (p < 0,001) and psychological (p < 0,001) components of life quality. Conclusions. A group of women with falls showed a decrease in most of the studied indicators of the dynamic component of postural balance, subjectively experienced age, quality of life, as well as a higher level of anxiety and the rate of aging. Thus, we can assume that the decrease in the quality of the dynamic component of the postural balance can be illustrated by the deterioration of the subjective characteristics of the functional state of the body in elderly women.