Gender differences in platform measures of balance in rural community-dwelling elders

The purpose of this study was to establish the age-related reference values of the platform measures of balance, which would serve as a baseline for comparing the postural insecurity of patients, and to clarify the characteristics of balance in community-dwelling elders. A total of 343 participants consisting of 107 males and 236 females, aged 55--83 years, were investigated in this study. The movement of the center of pressure (COP) was measured using a stable force platform to quantify postural stability. The examination was performed twice, each lasting for 30s, under open-eyes and closed-eyes conditions. In both genders, the movement of the COP showed a significant increase with age. Males showed a stronger positive correlation between age and platform measures and significantly higher levels of amplitude when compared with females. The movement of the COP increased under closed-eyes condition, particularly in males. The characteristics of balance differed between the genders. That is, males swayed more under both open-eyes and closed-eyes conditions, and were more influenced by visual deprivation than females.