Correlation between the mobility of the above cage and the below thorax cage toward the elderly lung vital capacity

Abstract

Background: The elderly will experience changes and decreases in all their body systems; one of them is the respiratory system. The changes that occur are a decrease in respiratory muscle mass and tone, which will affect the reduction of thorax expansion. This can be observed in the elderly lung’s vital capacity. This study aims to find out the correlation between the mobility of the thorax cage and the lung’s vital capacity. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 20 elderlies consists of 10 males and 10 females. Measurements use the midline to measure the mobility of the thorax cage and a spirometer to measure the capacity of lungs vital. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20 for Windows. Results: The research data were normally distributed based on the results of the Shapiro Wilk test. The respondents have an average age of 68.40±5.78 years old, followed by upper expansion of lung (86.25±7.51 cm), lower expansion of lung (79.20±7.24 cm), and lung vital capacity (1.18±4.17 L). Based on the multiple correlation test, it was found that there was a strong positive significant correlation (r=0.784; p= 0.000) between upper and lower thorax cage mobility on the elderly lung vital capacity. Conclusion: There is a strong correlation between upper and lower thorax cage mobility on the elderly lung vital capacity.