The Effect of Balance Exercise Training on Balance Status, and Quality of Life in Elderly Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

ABSTRACT

@#Introduction: Balance disorder is one of the huge risk factors for falling in elderly population. Falling leads to loss of independence of their functioning and activities of daily living. Preventing falls still exists as a challenge in public health. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of balance exercise training on balance status, and quality of life in elderly women. Methods: In the study, 60 elderly women with dizziness and history of falling over the past 6-12 months were randomized allocated into experimental and control group. Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Romberg tests, Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Fall Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and Leiden-Padua (LEIPAD) questionnaires were performed before and after training period in experimental group and compared to control group. Experimental group attended Cawthorne-cooksey (CC) and strengthening the sensory-motor system training in two-hour sessions twice in a week for 8 weeks. The repeated measure (one way and two way) ANOVA, independent-samples t-test, Bayesian Model, and ROC curve were applied to analysis the data using SPSS v.25. Results: Compared with the control group, BBS test result in 97% percent of the experimental group obtained normal. Experimental group improved significantly in the mean scores (ps<0.001) of BBS, Romberg, DHI, FES-I and some dimensions of life quality in LEIPAD. Conclusion: Balance exercises training (CC & strengthening the sensory-motor system) may induce significant improvements in balance and can be used for prevention or treatment in elderly people; further research is required to assess the long-term consequences of such interventions in elderly