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Overweight in elderly increases postural instability during sit-to-stand test: a Kinect-based assessment.
Weerasak Tapanya1,2, Sirintip Kumfu3, Noppharath Sangkarit3,4
1Department of Physical Therapy, School of Allied Health Sciences, University of Phayao, 19/2 Maeka Subdistrict, Muang District, Phayao, 56000, Thailand. weerasak.ta@up.ac.th.
Aging Clinical and Experimental Research
|November 3, 2023
Summary
Overweight elderly women demonstrate poorer balance and longer test times compared to normal weight women. A Kinect gaming device offers a reliable, cost-effective method for assessing balance in this population.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Biomechanics
- Human Movement Science
Background:
- Overweight individuals face increased fall risks, but standard balance tests may be unsuitable.
- Developing accurate balance assessment tools for overweight elderly is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate a Kinect gaming device for measuring the center of mass (CoM) in elderly women.
- To compare balance performance between normal weight and overweight elderly women using Kinect.
Main Methods:
- 64 elderly women (32 normal weight, 32 overweight) participated in a matched-pairs design.
- The Kinect Xbox 360 measured CoM during the five-time sit-to-stand test (FTSST).
- Participants also completed the time up and go test (TUGT) and one-leg standing balance (OLSB) tests.
Main Results:
- Overweight women showed longer FTSST and TUGT durations but no significant difference in OLSB.
- Greater mediolateral (ML) and anteroposterior (AP) sway length was observed in overweight individuals.
- Kinect demonstrated high reliability (ICC > 0.98) and low measurement error for CoM sway.
Conclusions:
- Overweight elderly women exhibit poorer balance compared to normal weight counterparts.
- The Kinect device is a reliable and cost-effective tool for community-based balance assessment in overweight elderly.
