title: Usefulness of the tri-axial accelerometer for assessing balance function in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to verify whether the tri-axial accelerometer can be used for quantitatively evaluating balance function in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 198 participants, including 172 healthy children aged 3-11 years (87 boys, 85 girls) and 26 young adults aged 21-24 years (seven men, 19 women), were enrolled in this study. The participants undertook three types of balance tasks: quiet standing with eyes open and closed, one-leg standing on the dominant leg and non-dominant leg, and walking on the floor and a balance beam. We derived the root mean square from participants' accelerations measured by the tri-axial accelerometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that for quiet standing, one-leg standing, and walking tasks, postural sway decreased with age. Girls controlled their posture better than boys of the same age on all tasks. There was a significant sex difference in quiet standing for children aged 8-9 years. Furthermore, sex differences existed in one-leg standing for children aged 5-11 years. A mild positive correlation was observed between static and dynamic balance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The tri-axial accelerometer is a useful quantitative tool for evaluating both static and dynamic balance function in children. Thus, it has the potential to be used clinically for diagnosis and rehabilitation.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Health Sciences, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Eguchi
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takada
mesh_terms: D061725:Accelerometry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: balance function; children; quantitative measurement; sex differences; tri-axial accelerometer