Assessment of postural stability of 14-year-old girls training volleyball

Abstract

Introduction: Measurements of postural stability are carried out for the prevention of injuries and for rehabilitation of athletes who have sustained traumatic injuries. The aim of the study was to assess postural stability measured in static and dynamic conditions in 14-year-old girls, of whom some were training volleyball, and some were not. Materials and Methods: The study involved a group of 30 girls aged 14, attending volleyball classes. This group was compared with the control group (n = 30) of girls of the same age who regularly participated only in regular physical education (PE) classes. The tests were conducted twice. The first examination was conducted at the end of September 2021 and then repeated at the beginning of January 2022, at a primary school with an extended sport curriculum in Krakow. The Flamingo Balance Test was used to determine postural stability in static conditions, and the Y-Balance Test – to measure postural stability in dynamic conditions. Results: Statistically significant differences between the results obtained during the first and the second examination were found for four parameters: Y-ANT R (p = 0.025) and FBT L (p = 0.001) in the group of girls practicing volleyball and (FBT L (p = 0.002) and FBT R (p = 0.030) in the regular PE group. Conclusions: Neither examination showed any statistically significant differences in the intergroup YBT values. The largest difference of 4% was recorded for the Y-POST-MED R range in the second examination.