title: Correlation between body mass index and postural balance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the correlation between body mass index (BMI) and postural balance in unipodal support.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 males, age 26 +/- 5 yrs, body mass 72.3 +/- 11 kg, height 176 +/_ 6 cm and BMI 23.3 +/- 3.2 kg/m(2), were submitted to functional stability tests using the Biodex Balance System (stability evaluation protocol level 2, which allows an inclination of up to 20 degrees in the horizontal plane in all directions) to compare stability with BMI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The general stability index showed a correlation between BMI and postural balance--measured as imbalance (R=0.723-dominant side and R=0.705-non-dominant side). The anteroposterior stability index--measured as instability--showed correlations on the dominant (R=0.708) and non-dominant side (R=0.656). Lateral instability showed a correlation on the dominant side (R=0.721) and non-dominant side (R=0.728). The comparison of the balance indexes for dominant and non-dominant sides showed no statistically significant differences.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High BMI demands more displacements to maintain postural balance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Hospital das Clinicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universsidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. jgreve@instituovia.com.br
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Greve
authors.forename: Angelica
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: Ana Carolina P G
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Bordini
authors.forename: Gilberto Luis
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Camanho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000843:Ankle Joint / Q000502:physiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D011187:Posture / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult