- Title
- Lower extremity strength training effects on balance and postural control in female elderly
- Creator
- Rosenblatt, Desmarie
- Subject
- Muscle strength
- Date Issued
- 2020
- Date
- 2020
- Type
- Thesis
- Type
- Masters
- Type
- MA
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/10948/46359
- Identifier
- vital:39595
- Description
- Background: The global, exponential growth in the elderly population and increased longevity has been well documented. South Africa has the highest proportion of older population in sub-Saharan Africa. Empirical research is lacking on the efficacy of exercise interventions for the elderly to prevent fall risk and increase independent living associated with quality of life. Maintenance of muscular strength of the lower body is important to compensate for various physiological deficits due to the ageing process. Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the effects of an eight-week lower extremity strength training intervention on balance and postural control in female elderly, aged 65 years and older, living in a high socio-economic, urban, residential area in Nelson Mandela Bay in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa. Design and Methods: A true-experimental, pre-test, post-test study design, was used with a comparative experimental and control group. A total number of 21 participants met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to an experimental or control group. The experimental group participated in an eight-week strength training intervention, attending exercise sessions, twice a week. Peak isometric strength of the knee flexors/extensors, adductors/abductors of the hip, and plantar / dorsi-flexors of the ankle were assessed post-intervention, using the FET2 handheld dynamometer. Balance was assessed by means the displacement of centre of pressure during the limits of stability and the ellipse area for postural sway assessment on a Kistler force plate, post-intervention. Medial/lateral displacement of centre of pressure and the mean velocity while descending a self-designed, two-step stair case, were determined after the intervention by measures obtained from a Kistler force plate. Descriptive statistics were calculated for measures of central tendency including means standard deviations. T-scores were used to standardise results obtained. Non-parametric, inferential statistics were used to determine the statistical significance of the results. The Wilcoxon matched pairs test and the Mann-Whitney U tests determined the significance of within group comparisons. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Spearman rank order correlations were used to measure the strength of associations Results: Lower extremity isometric strength in musculature around the hip, knee and ankle joints, as well as postural sway in a stationary position with eyes opened, have improved significantly after an eight-week resistance training Programme. Improvements in balance has been indicated by limits of stability in the postural sway stance with eyes closed, and dynamic balance during stair descending, were both not significant. Conclusion: The importance of physical interventions to enable the elderly in living a healthy and independent lifestyle should be promoted in all settings. Muscle strength gains and postural sway improvements could have been attributed to neural adaptation and calls for further investigation into the efficacy of strength training over longer durations. The relevance of incorporating stair negotiation as a functional activity of daily living should potentially be included in exercise Programmeprescription by biokineticists, as insufficient control of dynamic balance has been reported to increase fall risk.
- Format
- viii, 116 leaves
- Format
- Publisher
- Nelson Mandela University
- Publisher
- Faculty of Health Sciences
- Language
- English
- Rights
- Nelson Mandela University
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NMU School of Lifestyle Sciences
| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | SOURCE1 | Rosenblatt, D 209020092 Dissertation April 2020.pdf | 1 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |