Balance performance in the elderly: A pilot study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to compare the balance performance of the elderly with that of young adults and to identify the correlation of balance performance with knowledge of falls, fall efficacy and perception of fall risk in the elderly. The data were collected from 19 community-dwelling elderly and 15 young adults. Balance performance was measured in the eyes open state using a center of pressure (COP) measurement device. In addition, data were collected using structured questionnaires to measure knowledge of falls, fall efficacy, and perception of fall risk in the elderly. The collected data were analyzed using the SPSS WIN 22.0 program, and the results of this study were as follows. The balance performance of the elderly was significantly lower than that of young adults, where the balance performance of the elderly showed a statistically significant correlation with perception of fall risk. Therefore, the balance performance of the elderly is reduced, and as balance performance decreases, the risk of falls is better perceived. © Rushing Water Publishers Ltd. 2018.