Correlation between body weight and postural control in healthy individuals using sway meter

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Postural control is critical for ensuring a safety activity of daily living. Individuals with poor stability are more prone to fall while doing activities of daily living. A certain level of sway is essentially present due to small perturbation within the body during shifting body weight from one to other foot, breathing, etc. The purpose of this study was to analyze the correlation between body mass and postural control in normal, lean and obese individual. AIMS: to analyze the correlation between body mass and postural control in healthy individuals using sway meter. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational study done with 75 participants. Both male and female healthy individuals between 18-23 years were included in this study. Individuals with any musculoskeletal injuries, neurological conditions, peripheral artery disease and pregnant women were excluded from the study. BMI of each participant was calculated and assigned into three groups. Group A-lean, group B-normal and group C-obese. Postural control was analyzed for each group by using sway meter; level of postural sway was compared between groups A, B & C. RESULTS: On comparing mean values of groups A, B and C there was a positive association and strong correlation between body mass index and postural control with eye open and eye closed in anterior, posterior and postural sway towards left between the groups at (P ≤ 0.05). However, there was a negative association and weak correlation between BMI and postural control with eye open & eye closed in postural sway towards right between the groups at (P ≥ 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study reveals that there is strong correlation between BMI and postural control. Subjects in eyes closed and eyes opened conditions showed sway in anterior, posterior and left directions but there was less sway towards right side direction.