Abstract
Strength and balance deficits are important factors contributing to falls risk in the community-dwelling older women.
PURPOSE: To investigate upper and lower limb strength and static and dynamic balance in community-dwelling older women.
METHODS: Forty-three active female volunteers, aged 60 to 89, were divided into three groups: G1 (under 65 years, n=16); G2 (65 to 74 years, n=14); and G3 (75 years and above, n=13). Their upper limb strength - hand grip (HG), lower limb strength - 30 seconds chair stand (STS), dynamic balance - timed up-and-go test (TUGT) and static balance - bipedal anterior-posterior sway with eyes open and closed (APO and APC, respectively), and bipedal medial-lateral sway with eyes open and closed (MLO and MLC, respectively) were assessed.
RESULTS: Polynomial Trend analysis showed that most variables decreased significantly and linearly across the 3 age categories (HG: F=4.92, p=0.032; STS: F=5.82, p=0.021; TUGT: F=7.92, p=0.008; APC: F=6.27, p=0.016; MLO: F=5.63, p=0.023; MLC: F=4.59, p=0.038), but HG and MLC also had a quadratic component (F=11.31, p=0.002 and F=4.30, p=0.045, respectively). Specifically, HG held up well into the mid-seventies, then dropped markedly; while MLC declined immediately after women turned 65. GH and STS were significantly inter-correlated (r=0.39 p=0.01), and both were significantly correlated with dynamic balance function - TUGT (r=-0.40 p=0.008 and r=-0.65 p
CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for therapeutic exercise interventions designed to maintain and improve strength and balance in community-dwelling older women.
PURPOSE: To investigate upper and lower limb strength and static and dynamic balance in community-dwelling older women.
METHODS: Forty-three active female volunteers, aged 60 to 89, were divided into three groups: G1 (under 65 years, n=16); G2 (65 to 74 years, n=14); and G3 (75 years and above, n=13). Their upper limb strength - hand grip (HG), lower limb strength - 30 seconds chair stand (STS), dynamic balance - timed up-and-go test (TUGT) and static balance - bipedal anterior-posterior sway with eyes open and closed (APO and APC, respectively), and bipedal medial-lateral sway with eyes open and closed (MLO and MLC, respectively) were assessed.
RESULTS: Polynomial Trend analysis showed that most variables decreased significantly and linearly across the 3 age categories (HG: F=4.92, p=0.032; STS: F=5.82, p=0.021; TUGT: F=7.92, p=0.008; APC: F=6.27, p=0.016; MLO: F=5.63, p=0.023; MLC: F=4.59, p=0.038), but HG and MLC also had a quadratic component (F=11.31, p=0.002 and F=4.30, p=0.045, respectively). Specifically, HG held up well into the mid-seventies, then dropped markedly; while MLC declined immediately after women turned 65. GH and STS were significantly inter-correlated (r=0.39 p=0.01), and both were significantly correlated with dynamic balance function - TUGT (r=-0.40 p=0.008 and r=-0.65 p
CONCLUSIONS: These findings have important implications for therapeutic exercise interventions designed to maintain and improve strength and balance in community-dwelling older women.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 684-684 |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Journal | Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise |
| Volume | 49 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - May 2017 |