Correlation between Age and Modified Star Excursion Balance Test in Healthcare Workers: A Cross-sectional Study
YC07-YC10
Correspondence
Dr. Ahmad Dhahawi Alanazi,
Majmaah University, Majmaah, Saudi Arabia.
E-mail: aalanazi@mu.edu.sa
Introduction: With advancing age, the ability to maintain postural stability may decline. Healthcare workers might be prone to musculoskeletal symptoms which may lead to greater decline in postural stability with advancing age. However, the relationship between age and balance in healthy hospital staff has not been elucidated.
Aim: To identify the correlations between age and balance measured by the modified Star Excursion Balance Test (mSEBT) performance and determine if age predicts mSEBT performance in healthy male hospital staff.
Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted at Rabigh General Hospital, Rabigh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2020 to June 2021. Fifteen male hospital staff were included in this study. Participants were instructed to perform three trials of mSEBT. Normalised composite scores and reach distances in each direction for both legs were calculated. Pearson correlation was conducted to identify the correlations between age and mSEBT performance. Also, simple linear regression was performed to determine if age predicts mSEBT performance.
Results: Significant moderate negative correlations were observed between age and non dominant Posteromedial (PM) direction (r=-0.44, p=0.04) and non dominant composite score (r=-0.48, p=0.03). Also, there was a significant strong negative correlation between age and dominant PM direction (r=-0.52, p=0.02) and a significant moderate negative correlation between age and dominant composite score (r=-0.44, p=0.04). The regression analysis showed that age significantly (p=0.046) predicted 27.3% of the variation in the dominant PM reach direction distance (B=-1.35).
Conclusion: The results showed, that age was negatively correlated with PM direction and composite scores for both limbs. Also, age was a predictor of the mSEBT performance only in the dominant PM reach direction.