title: Influence of the length of institutionalization on older adults' postural balance and risk of falls: a transversal study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to ascertain the influence of the length of institutionalization on older adults' balance and risk of falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  to evaluate the risk of falls, the Berg Balance Scale and the Timed Get Up and Go test were used; and for measuring postural balance, static stabilometry was used, with acquisition of the elliptical area of 95% and mean velocities on the x and y axes of center of pressure displacement. Parametric and nonparametric measures of association and comparison (α<0.05) were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  there was no significant correlation between the length of institutionalization and the tests for evaluation of risk of falling, neither was there difference between groups and within subgroups, stratified by length of institutionalization and age. In the stabilometric measurements, there was a negative correlation between the parameters analyzed and the length of institutionalization, and difference between groups and within subgroups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  this study's results point to the difficulty of undertaking postural control tasks, showing a leveling below the clinical tests' reference scores. In the stabilometric behavior, one should note the reduction of the parameters as the length of institutionalization increases, contradicting the assumptions. This study's results offer support for the development of a multi-professional model for intervention with the postural control and balance of older adults living in homes for the aged.
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem Aurora de Afonso Costa, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Wagner Oliveira
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Batista
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Educação Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Edmundo de Drummond
authors.initials: Ede D
authors.lastname: Alves Junior
authors.affiliation: Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Flávia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Porto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Castelo Branco, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fabio Dutra
authors.initials: FD
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.affiliation: Escola de Enfermagem, Centro de Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rosimere Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Educação Física, Universidade Federal Fluminense, Niterói, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Jonas Lírio
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Gurgel
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007326:Institutionalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D004856:Postural Balance; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013997:Time Factors