title: Gender differences in balance performance at the time of retirement.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Impairments in balance performance are a commonly accepted risk factor for falling in older people. Since there is a higher reported incidence of falling in women, it is of interest to test whether this correlates with poorer balance performance in women than men at the time of retirement in order to plan health promotional strategies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether any gender differences exist in balance performance in people approaching retirement age.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ninety-seven healthy volunteers (44 males, 53 females) planning to retire shortly were enrolled in the study (age range 50-67 years). Balance assessments during quiet standing were performed under various conditions; feet together eyes open, feet together eyes closed and single limb stance eyes open. The range of centre of pressure displacement in both the anterior-posterior and medial-lateral planes was collected for each task using a force platform.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For several of the balance tasks the men exhibited a statistically significant larger range of centre of pressure displacement than the women (P<0.01). However, after normalising the data for height, no gender differences were seen. Over half of the group failed to complete all three single limb stance trials on both limbs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When the data was normalised for height, no differences were found in static balance performance between men and women of retirement age. A number of participants demonstrated balance impairments whilst performing the single limb stance likely to affect functional activities. Health promotional messages should be targeted equally at men and women.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Research Centre for Health Professions, University of Brighton, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN20 7UR, UK. e.bryant@brighton.ac.uk
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Bryant
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Trew
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bruce
authors.forename: R M E
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Kuisma
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009068:Movement / Q000502:physiology*; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D011312:Pressure; D012179:Retirement; D012737:Sex Factors; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis