Body positions used by healthy and frail older adults to rise from the floor.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to describe how older adults, particularly more physically impaired older adults, might differ from healthy controls in the body positions used to rise from the floor.


METHODS
Cross-sectional analysis of young, healthy older, and congregate housing older women.


METHODS
University-based laboratory and congregate housing facility.


METHODS
Healthy young university student controls (n = 22, mean age 23 years); healthy old adults living independently in the community (n = 24, mean age 73 years); and congregate housing older adults (n = 29, mean age 81 years).


METHODS
Videotaping and timing of rising from a supine position on the floor to standing.


METHODS
In addition to the time taken to rise from the floor, 10 specific trunk and extremity positions used during the rise, termed Intermediate Positions (IP), were identified.


RESULTS
The Young controls had the fastest rise time and used the fewest number of IP, whereas the Congregate residents had the slowest rise time and used the most IP, with the Healthy old adults intermediate in both time and IP use. Prevalence of certain IP, together with correlational and factor analyses, suggest that use of Sit and Crouch was the most preferred rise strategy for the Young controls, whereas use of Tuck, Crouch-Kneel, All Fours, and Bearwalk was the most preferred rise strategy among the Congregate residents. The Healthy old used IP common to both Young and Congregate residents, reflecting a rise strategy intermediate to the latter groups. A substantial subset of the Congregate residents (38%) were unable to rise without assistance and appeared to use certain preparatory positions (Sit, Kneel, Tuck) but were unable to get into presumably more challenging positions (Crouch-Kneel, All Fours, Bearwalk).


CONCLUSIONS
With increasing age and physical impairment, body positions used during rising from the floor suggest a preference for maintaining upper and lower extremity contact with the floor, presumably minimizing the lower extremity strength requirements to rise and maximizing stability and postural control. These intermediate body positions may be useful as the basis for training older adults to rise from the floor.
Ulbrich
J
J
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA.
Raheja
A
A
Alexander
N B
NB
D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged / Q000502:physiology*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014743:Videotape Recording