Postural Balance and Its Sensory-Motor Correlates in 75-Year-Old Men and Women: A Cross-National Comparative Study

Abstract

As the same procedure was applied to the analysis of postural balance, some differences between the populations living in different localities could be detected in some of the tests. The better performance of the women in the balance tests may partly be explained by anthropometric factors, especially differences in body height. There may also be differences in sensory-motor associates of balance in elderly men and women. On the basis of the associations observed, it is difficult to explain the differences in balance between the sexes or subjects living in different localities. Within the sexes, only a small proportion (10-13%) of the variation in balance during normal standing with eyes open could be explained by the factors included in the study.