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Standing balance and strength measurements in older adults living in residential care communities

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Abstract

Research on balance and mobility in older adults has been conducted primarily in lab-based settings in individuals who live in the community. Although they are at greater risk of falls, residents of long-term care facilities, specifically residential care communities (RCCs), have been investigated much less frequently. We sought to determine the feasibility of using portable technology-based measures of balance and muscle strength (i.e., an accelerometer and a load cell) that can be used in any RCC facility. Twenty-nine subjects (age 87 ± 6 years) living in RCCs participated. An accelerometer placed on the back of the subjects measured body sway during different standing conditions. Sway in antero-posterior and mediolateral directions was calculated. Lower extremity strength was measured with a portable load cell and the within-visit reliability was determined. Assessments of grip strength, gait speed, frailty, and comorbidity were also examined. A significant increase in postural sway in both the AP and ML directions occurred as the balance conditions became more difficult due to alteration of sensory feedback (p < 0.001) or reducing the base of support (p < 0.001). There was an association between increased sway and increased frailty, more comorbidities and slower gait speed. All strength measurements were highly reliable (ICC = 0.93–0.99). An increase in lower extremity strength was associated with increased grip strength and gait speed. The portable instruments provide inexpensive ways for measuring balance and strength in the understudied RCC population, but additional studies are needed to examine their relationship with functional outcomes.

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging (NIH R01AG028086), and by University of Pittsburgh Older Americans Independence Center (NIH P30 AG024827). We thank staff and participants of the following sites from which data has been collected: Asbury Heights site, Seneca Hills Village, and Cumberland Woods Village.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Therapy, 433 Eye and Ear Institute, University of Pittsburgh, 203 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Bader A. Alqahtani & Patrick J. Sparto

  2. Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3471 Fifth Avenue Kaufmann Medical Building, Suite 500, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Mary Ann Ferchak, Subashan Perera & Susan L. Greenspan

  3. Department of Radiology, University of Pittsburgh, PUH Suite E204, 200 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA

    Theodore J. Huppert

  4. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 1203 Benedum Hall, 3700 O’Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15261, USA

    Ervin Sejdic

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  1. Bader A. Alqahtani
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Correspondence to Bader A. Alqahtani.

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On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

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The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the University of Pittsburgh.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Alqahtani, B.A., Ferchak, M.A., Huppert, T.J. et al. Standing balance and strength measurements in older adults living in residential care communities. Aging Clin Exp Res 29, 1021–1030 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0693-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40520-016-0693-4

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