Validity and Reliability of a Customized Smartphone Application for Postural Sway Assessment

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Kinesiology
• Rehabilitation Science

Background:

• Postural sway (PS) assessment is crucial for evaluating static balance.
• Traditional methods for measuring PS, such as force plates and clinical tests, can be expensive or time-consuming.
• There is a need for accessible and reliable tools for PS assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the validity and reliability of a customized smartphone application (CSA) for postural sway assessment.
• To compare the CSA's performance against established methods like force plates and the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS).

Main Methods:

• A validity and reliability study was conducted with 29 healthy volunteers.
• Synchronized data collection using the CSA, a force plate, and the mBESS.
• Measurements included pathway and 95% ellipse area during three 40-second trials in three positions.

Main Results:

• The CSA demonstrated good to strong correlations with the force plate for pathway measurements (r = 0.81-0.91).
• The CSA showed moderate to high reliability (0.66-0.75), comparable to the force plate (0.69-0.77).
• A high correlation was found between the CSA and mBESS (r = 0.80), exceeding the force plate-mBESS correlation.

Conclusions:

• The developed CSA is a valid and reliable tool for postural sway assessment in healthy young adults.
• The CSA shows potential for clinical balance assessments, though further research is recommended.
• This smartphone-based technology offers a promising alternative for PS evaluation.