Association of body sway among fallers and non fallers elderly population – cross sectional study

Background: About one third of the community dwellers over the age of 65 and persons over the age 80 will fall each year. Fall is an unexplained event that results in a person inadvertently coming to the rest on the floor, ground or lower level. Falls are extremely common among the older adult population, account for the substantial morbidity and mortality. Postural control involves controlling body’s position in space for dual purpose of stability, balance and orientation. Postural stability or balance is the ability to maintain the projected centre of motion within the limit of base of support. Physiological changes of normal aging may increases the risk of falls.eg-with the normal aging there is diminished input from the visual, proprioceptive, and vestibular system which may results in alteration of balance. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to find the association of body sway among community dwelling elderly population with and without having history of falls. Subject and method: 12 subjects were selected on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Subjects were selected by convenient sampling method. They were divided into 2 groups of fallers and non-fallers. To evaluate body sway among elderly, the body sway meter had been use. The body sway among elderly having history of falls and without falls had been measure, with keeping their eyes open and closed. Result: The body sway was analyzed and compared within community dwelling elderly population which were fallers and non fallers, by unpaired t test (pvalue = <0.0001). Age was compared in between groups and it comes not significant. The BMI in the participant had come significant. When body sway compared in elderly, the sway observed greater among people having previous history of falls. Conclusion: The patients having previous falls history are having more body sway that means they are at high risk of falls; than the elderly without falls history. BMI in the participants with falls history was seen higher than participants without having falls history.