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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.
Background:
Being overweight increases the risk of falls and subsequent injuries. However, conventional functional balance tests may not be appropriate for this population as body weight can affect test performance. Thus, it is crucial to develop reliable methods for assessing balance ability in overweight individuals.
Aim:
The purpose of this study was to utilize a portable gaming device (Kinect Xbox 360) to measure the center of mass (CoM) of elderly individuals and compare the results between normal weight and overweight elderly women.
Methods:
The study included 64 female elderly individuals who were divided into two groups: 32 normal weight and 32 overweight subjects, matched for age (matched pairs design). The study collected the body's CoM during the five-time sit-to-stand test (FTSST) using Kinect camera. Additionally, the participants underwent the time up and go test (TUGT) and one-leg standing balance (OLSB) tests. The Kinect Xbox 360 demonstrated high test-retest reliability for measuring body's center of mass sway, with ICC3,1 value of 0.982 in the vertical direction, 0.983 in the mediolateral (ML) direction, and 0.997 in the anteroposterior (AP) direction. Additionally, the technical error of measurement (TEM) was very low at 0.006, 0.002, and 0.004, respectively. The % coefficient of variation ranged from 1.31% to 5.68%, indicating good measurement consistency.
Results:
Overweight individuals took longer to complete FTSST and TUGT compared to normal weight individuals, but no significant difference was observed in OLSB tests. Moreover, overweight elderly individuals had greater sway length in the ML and AP directions compared to normal weight elderly individuals.
Discussion And Conclusion:
Overweight elderly individuals had poorer balance than their normal weight counterparts when using Kinect camera. The researchers suggest that Kinect device can be a cost-effective alternative to measure balance performance among overweight elderly in the community-based setting.
