How does balance during functional tasks change across older adulthood?

Abstract

BackgroundAging is associated with declining balance, which may increase fall risk and reduce independence. There is a paucity of work examining functional tasks (e.g., standing from a chair, lifting) related to fall risk. Additionally, many past studies have considered older adults as one age group, rather than viewing aging as a continuum across older adulthood. Research questionHow are age and balance measures related in healthy, independently-dwelling older adults during functional tasks? MethodsThirty-eight older (60–89 years old) and 21 younger (18–30 years old) independently-dwelling adults performed quiet standing, sit-stand-sit, sit-stand-gait initiation, and lifting, while ground reaction forces and whole-body motion were measured. Variability of the net center of pressure displacement (root-mean-square; antero-posterior and mediolateral), and minimum margin of stability (anterior, posterior, mediolateral, and/or medial and lateral) were extracted. Regression analyses were used to identify relationships with age for both the full participant sample and the older adult cohort, accounting for sex and task characteristics. ResultsAge was significantly related to balance measures for both participant samples; net center of pressure root-mean-square and minimum margin of stability tended to increase and decrease with age, respectively. For older adults, significant relationships were primarily in the antero-posterior and mediolateral directions for sit-stand-gait initiation and sit-stand-sit, respectively. Relationships did not appear to be simply a function of differences in task performance with age. SignificanceSome evidence of balance declines during functional tasks was observed across older adulthood, including declines that did not appear in the full participant sample. However, further work with a more diverse older adult cohort will be required to confirm these results. Findings may contribute to the development of strategies for improving balance control and reducing fall risk in older adults, by identifying the balance measures most likely to decline across older adulthood as potential target tasks for interventions.