title: The effects of usual footwear on balance amongst elderly women attending a day hospital.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to examine the effects of footwear on balance in a sample of older women attending a day hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  this was a crossover trial with a quasi-randomised allocation.
  
  
  METHODS
  assessments took place in the geriatric day hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  a cohort of 100 older women aged 60 years and over attending a day hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  demographic data and a brief falls history were recorded. Participant's footwear was assessed using a footwear assessment form. A Berg Balance Scale (BBS) was completed under two conditions--shoes on and shoes off with order counter-balanced.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the mean BBS was 39.07 (SD 9.14) with shoes on and 36.54 (SD 10.39) with shoes off (P < 0.0001). Balance scores were significantly higher with shoes on for 10 of the 14 Berg subcategories. Lower barefoot BBS scores were associated with a greater beneficial effect of footwear on balance (P < 0.001). Shoe characteristics were not associated with change in the BBS score.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wearing their own footwear significantly improved participants' balance compared to being barefoot. The greatest benefit of footwear was seen in those with the poorest balance. Further studies should investigate whether particular types of footwear are associated with greater benefit.
authors.affiliation: School of Physiotherapy, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin 2, Ireland. fhorgan@rcsi.ie
authors.forename: N Frances
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Horgan
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Crehan
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Bartlett
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Keogan
authors.forename: Anne Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: Allan R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Ciaran F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Donegan
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Curran
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003631:Day Care, Medical; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D012775:Shoes