Age and Postural Stability in Firefighters: An Analysis of Anterior Reach Asymmetry and the Two-Foot Length Criterion

This study explored how age affects postural stability (PS) in firefighters by focusing on two key objectives: 1) determining if age affects right-to-left anterior (ANT) reach distance asymmetry (ASYM) during the Motor Control Screen (MCS) test and 2) assessing whether the proportion of firefighters not meeting the greater than two-foot length (2FL) criterion for ANT reach differs across age groups. Data from 95 male firefighters were analyzed using the MCS ANT reach test, part of the Y-Balance Test (YBT). The key outcomes were the difference in ANT reach distances between legs (ASYM) and the proportion reaching less than or equal to 2FL. Statistical analyses used Mann-Whitney U tests for ASYM and chi-square tests for proportions. No statistical difference in ASYM was found between younger and middle-aged firefighters (U=1025, p=0.501, r=-.069). Similarly, the proportion of firefighters not meeting the greater than 2FL criterion did not significantly differ across age groups for both right and left ANT reaches (p= 0.997, ϕ=.000 for right and p= 0.547, ϕ=-.062 for left). These findings indicate that age does not significantly influence right-to-left ANT reach ASYM or the likelihood of failing to meet the greater than 2FL criterion in this firefighter population. The results suggest that PS, as measured by ANT reach ASYM and the greater than 2FL criterion, does not significantly decline with age among firefighters. This may be due to the physical demands of firefighting. Future research should explore how ANT reach measures relate to injury risk and evaluate age-specific balance training interventions.