The Influence of Age and Dynamic Balance on Functional Movement Among Active-Duty Police Officers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Identifying factors contributing to musculoskeletal injury risk in police officers is crucial for developing preventative interventions.
• Previous research suggests the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) and Y-Balance Test (YBT) may indicate musculoskeletal injury risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationships between age, dynamic balance, and functional movement in police officers.
• To determine the predictive power of age and dynamic balance on functional movement variance in this population.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-five active-duty police officers participated in laboratory-based assessments.
• Functional movement was evaluated using the FMS, and dynamic balance was assessed with the YBT (LQYBT%).

Main Results:

• A significant negative correlation was found between FMS overall score and age (r = -.641, P < .001).
• Age and LQYBT% scores significantly predicted FMS overall scores, accounting for 41.1% of the variance (R2 = .411).
• Age was the sole significant predictor of FMS overall scores.

Conclusions:

• Age is strongly and negatively associated with functional movement quality in police officers.
• This relationship suggests that increasing age may contribute to reduced movement quality and a higher risk of musculoskeletal injury in this occupational group.