Table 1.
Demographics, health, psychological, sensory, and fall risk profile of participants stratified by balance performance.
| Mean (SD) | Good balance (N = 71) | Fair balance (N = 72) | Poor balance (N = 69) | P-value | Eta squared |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 80.0 (4.8) | 79.9 (4.9) | 81.9 (4.9) | 0.023 | 0.035 |
| Sex (number, % female) | 46 (65) | 46 (64) | 39 (57) | 0.544 | |
| Years of education | 12.1 (3.6) | 12.4 (3.3) | 12.6 (3.8) | 0.725 | 0.003 |
| Height (cm) | 163.3 (8.1) | 162.6 (9.0) | 162.0 (8.5) | 0.650 | |
| Weight (Kg) | 73.4 (16.1) | 71.4 (12.2) | 71.5 (13.6) | 0.622 | |
| Contrast sensitivity (dB) | 21.0 (1.4) | 21.5 (1.5) | 20.8 (1.7) | 0.022 | 0.036 |
| Knee extension strength (kg) | 28.9 (11.5) | 25.8 (8.7) | 26.8 (8.7) | 0.152 | 0.018 |
| Proprioception (°) | 1.9 (1.4) | 1.9 (1.2) | 2.6 (1.7) | 0.006 | 0.049 |
| Hand reaction time (ms) | 230 (35) | 247 (47) | 245 (50) | 0.044 | 0.030 |
| Falls past year (% yes) | 35 | 40 | 57 | 0.030 | |
| Concern about falling (10–40)∗ | 16.7 (4.5) | 17.9 (4.9) | 18.1 (4.8) | 0.169 | |
| Depression (0–27)∗ | 2.1 (2.4) | 2.3 (2.8) | 2.6 (3.0) | 0.927 | |
| Comorbidity Index∗ | 3.3 (2.3) | 3.5 (2.2) | 3.7 (2.3) | 0.590 | |
| ANT executive network (ms) | 110 (55) | 97 (46) | 122 (87) | 0.080 | 0.024 |
| Inhibitory choice stepping reaction time (ms) | 866 (96) | 864 (105) | 886 (145) | 0.475 | 0.007 |
Variables are presented in mean (SD) unless otherwise stated. Significant results from univariate tests are shown in bold; trend for significance in italic. ∗higher values indicate larger levels of the construct; Fear of falling was assessed using the Icon-FES; Depression was assessed using the PHQ-9; Comorbidity Index was measured using the Functional Comorbidity Index providing a sum score of 18 chronic conditions.