Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/30970
Title: Exploring the Effect of Prolonged Ankle Plantar-flexed Standing on Postural Control, Balance Confidence, Falls Efficacy, and Perceived Balance in Older Adults
Authors: Low, DC
Keywords: postural variability;postural strategy;fatigue;older people
Issue Date: 24-Mar-2025
Publisher: MDPI
Citation: Low, D.C. (2025) 'Exploring the Effect of Prolonged Ankle Plantar-flexed Standing on Postural Control, Balance Confidence, Falls Efficacy, and Perceived Balance in Older Adults.', Biomechanics, 5 (2), 19, pp. 1 - 10. doi: 10.3390/biomechanics5020019.
Abstract: Background/Objectives: Postural control describes our ability to maintain an upright position. This study explored the impact of prolonged ankle plantar-flexed standing on postural control variability and strategy in an older adult population. The ability to perceive balance change was also assessed via subjective balance-related variables. Methods: Twenty-four community-dwelling older adults were recruited via convenience sampling. Each participant completed a balance confidence and falls efficacy questionnaire at baseline. Five barefoot quiet standing trials on a force plate then followed (Timepoint 1). After this, the participants stood with their ankles in a plantar-flexed position for up to 7.5 min before completing another quiet standing trial on the force plate. Four further ankle plantar-flexed standing trials of 2 min were then completed, interspersed with quiet standing trials on a force plate (Timepoint 2). The balance confidence and falls efficacy questionnaires were then completed again. For measures of postural control variability (sway path length, root mean square [RMS], sway area) and strategy (fractal dimension), mean values for the five trials were calculated for Timepoints 1 and 2 separately. Results: The sway path length and RMS measures were significantly increased (p < 0.05) at Timepoint 2. However, the fractal dimension did not change. There was also no change in balance confidence or falls efficacy. Conclusions: The findings suggest that prolonged standing can impact measures of postural variability without a change in postural control strategy. Postural control change also occurred without a change in subjective balance measures, suggesting that the altered balance may not be practically significant or perceptible to the individual.
Description: Data Availability Statement: The datasets presented in this article are not readily available because this was not a feature of the ethical approval.
URI: https://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/30970
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/biomechanics5020019
Other Identifiers: ORCiD: Daniel Craig Low https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4940-4527
Article number 19
Appears in Collections:Dept of Life Sciences Research Papers

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