title: One-leg standing balance and functional status in an elderly community-dwelling population in northeast Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Development of simple and accurate indicators of frailty is an important research goal in aging societies. One-leg standing balance (OLSB) has been proposed as a component of a clinical index of frailty.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed relationships between results of OLSB testing and multiple health risk factors and impairment/disability indicators in a sample of elderly subjects (N=102) participating in the Anchyses Project. Subjects were aged >65, lived in a home for the aged in Rovigo, Italy, and had no ADL dependencies or recent acute illnesses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  More than half (53%) failed the OLSB test while 36% were able to balance without difficulty. Significant differences were observed among OLSB performance groups in forced vital capacity (p=0.025), dynamometry (p=0.001), age, physical activity, and IADL dependency (all p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  OLSB performance is a marker of frailty and thus a potentially useful predictor of functional decline.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Padova, Italy. drusini@civ.bio.unipd.it
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Drusini
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Eleazer
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caiazzo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Veronese
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Carrara
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ranzato
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Businaro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Boland
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wieland
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D016330:Frail Elderly / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012306:Risk