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Centre for Policy on Ageing | |
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Postural balance and self-reported functional ability in 75-year old men and women
— a cross-national comparative survey | | Author(s) | P Era, K Avlund, J Jokela |
| Journal title | Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol 45, no 1, January 1997 |
| Pages | pp 21-29 |
| Keywords | Mobility ; Self care capacity ; Exercise ; Cross national surveys ; Denmark ; Finland ; Sweden. |
| Annotation | A random sample of 448 men and 556 women aged 75 in Glostrup, Denmark, and Göteborg, Sweden, and all 75-year-olds (127 men and 261 women) in Jyväskylä, Finland, were assessed for their postural balance in relation to self-reported functional ability and physical activity. In spite of some differences in balance between the groups studied (better results in women, and to some extent, better results in Denmark and Finland), performance in the balance tests was similarly associated with functional ability within all groups. Those reporting no need of help in ADL (activities of daily living) and mobility functions performed significantly better in the balance tests, as did those reporting a higher level of physical activity. Results suggest that good balance is one of the prerequisites of performance without difficulty in mobility and ADL functions. Physical exercise may help to maintain balancing abilities in old age. Good balance, in turn, may also enable a physically active way of life. Associations of balance with functional ability and physical activity were independent of sex and locality. The validity of static stabilometry as a tool for evaluating threats to functional limitations in older subjects is supported. (RH). |
| Accession Number | CPA-970812234 A |
| Classmark | C4: CA: CEA: 3K: 76K: 76L: 76P |
Data © Centre for Policy on Ageing |
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| ...from the Ageinfo database published by Centre for Policy on Ageing. |
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