Postural Sway During Standing and Unexpected Disturbance of Balance in Random Samples of Men of Different Ages

TLDR

The study examined postural sway during standing and after unexpected balance disturbances in men aged 31–35, 51–55, and 71–75. Participants were random samples of men from Jyväskylä in 1981. Older men displayed greater standing sway, yet post‑disturbance sway was comparable across ages; sway correlated with ankle vibratory threshold, grip strength, and aerobic/anaerobic capacity, and was poorer in the youngest group exposed to workplace noise, while health status showed negligible correlation, indicating that aging, fitness, and environmental factors similarly influence postural control.

Abstract

Postural sway behavior while standing and during and after an unexpected disturbance of balance was examined in men aged 31 to 35, 51 to 55, and 71 to 75 years. The groups studied were random samples of men living in the town of jyväskylä in 1981. Postural sway while standing was more pronounced in the older age groups, whereas after a disturbance of balance postural sway was nearly the same in all age groups. The functioning of the postural control system was correlated with the vibratory threshold on the ankles, grip strength, as well as with aerobic and anaerobic capacity within the age groups. Further, in the youngest age group the functioning of the postural control system was poorer among those who had been subject to noise at their work. The correlation between health status and postural sway was negligible. The results may indicate the partly parallel and similar effects of aging, poor physical fitness, and harmful environmental factors on the functioning of the postural control system.