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Aging effects on the structure underlying balance abilities tests.
Toshiya Urushihata1, Takashi Kinugasa2, Yuki Soma2
1Graduate School of Comprehensive Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8574, Japan ; Faculty of Health Sciences, Tsukuba University of Tecnology, Ibaraki 305-8521, Japan.
Summary
Aging significantly alters the underlying structure of balance abilities. While young adults rely on reactive balance, older adults depend more on static balance for overall stability.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Motor Control
Background:
- Balance impairment is a major risk factor for falls in older adults, impacting daily living and increasing care needs.
- Assessing balance is crucial for maintaining independence in older populations, yet the underlying structure of performance differences between age groups is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the aging effects on the factorial structure of balance performance tests.
- To compare the balance abilities of healthy young and older women using a covariance structure analysis.
Main Methods:
- Employed six balance tests: postural sway, one-leg standing, functional reach, timed up and go (TUG), gait, and EquiTest.
- Utilized exploratory factor analysis and covariance structure modeling to analyze data from 60 young and 60 older women.
- Examined the loadings of static, dynamic, and reactive balance factors across age groups.
Main Results:
- Identified three interpretable factors (Reactive, Static, Dynamic) in young adults.
- Identified three interpretable factors (Static and Reactive, Reactive, Dynamic) in older adults, with some overlap.
- Found significant differences in factor loadings: young adults showed higher loadings for reactive balance (0.76), while older adults showed higher loadings for static balance (0.71).
Conclusions:
- The common factorial structure of balance abilities includes static, dynamic, and reactive components.
- For young adults, reactive balance ability is a key determinant of overall balance.
- For older adults, static balance ability becomes more critical in explaining overall balance, suggesting a shift in balance strategies with age.
