Abstract
Postural control is a key aspect in preventing falls. The aim of this study was to determine if obesity affected balance in community-dwelling older adults and serve as an indicator of fall risk. The participants were randomly assigned to receive a comprehensive geriatric assessment followed by a longitudinal assessment of their fall history. The standing postural balance was measured for 98 participants with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ranging from 18 to 63 kg/m2, using a force plate and an inertial measurement unit affixed at the sternum. Participants’ fall history was recorded over 2 years and participants with at least one fall in the prior year were classified as fallers. The results suggest that body weight/BMI is an additional risk factor for falling in elderly persons and may be an important marker for fall risk. The linear variables of postural analysis suggest that the obese fallers have significantly higher sway area and sway ranges, along with higher root mean square and standard deviation of time series. Additionally, it was found that obese fallers have lower complexity of anterior-posterior center of pressure time series. Future studies should examine more closely the combined effect of aging and obesity on dynamic balance.
Highlights
Obesity is a growing health problem in older adults [1]
Significant differences were observed in a multitude of linear force plate measures comparing obese fallers and obese non-fallers: Sway area (95% confidence ellipse, p = 0.0008, F = 7.39; circular area, p < 0.0001, F = 9.80), mean velocity (p = 0.001, F = 6.51), and mean path length of center of pressure (COP) (p = 0.001, F = 6.51); the eyes-open (EO) vs eyes-closed (EO) condition afforded similar results (Figure 2)
The present study investigated the effects of obesity on fall risk in community-dwelling older adults, utilizing nonlinear analyses on signals acquired from force plate and inertial measurement units (IMU) measurements
Summary
Obesity is a growing health problem in older adults [1]. In 2012, approximately 35% of the population above the age of 60 years was considered obese [2]. It has been reported that obese adults carry an anteriorly displaced center of mass that elicits greater trunk extension while standing in an effort to counteract the excessive weight and maintain balance [19,20,21,22]. Studies show that postural control elicits behavior modifications associated with greater fall risk and injuries [22,23], including increased postural sway area, range, and velocity [19,20,21]. Some researchers report that obesity necessitates additional balance control constraints that reduce stability [17,27,28] others report that obesity’s effect on balance is minimal [29,30], merely providing protection from fall-related injuries [24,26]
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