Adiposity and postural balance control: Correlations between bioelectrical impedance and stabilometric signals in elderly Brazilian women

Sep 5, 2026

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Investigate how body adiposity relates to postural control in elderly women using bioelectrical impedance, anthropometric measurements, and stabilometric assessments. Forty-five participants underwent analyses including waist circumference, weight and height, and balance testing across multiple stance conditions with eyes open or closed. Results indicate significant positive associations between adiposity indices and contact counts in unilateral stances, with greater fat mass linked to increased sway variability when vision was removed. Findings suggest body fat distribution influences balance limitations, especially during unilateral postures.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

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Pages6

Reading Time15 min

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Objective

Methods

Participants and measurements

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Conclusion

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CLINICAL SCIENCE Adiposity and postural balance control: Correlations between bioelectrical impedance and stabilometric signals in elderly Brazilian women Mı´riam Raquel Meira Mainenti, ´Erika de Carvalho Rodrigues, Juliana Fla´via de Oliveira, Arthur de Sa´ Ferreira, Cristina Ma´rcia Dias, Andre´ Luı´s dos Santos Silva Augusto Motta University Center (UNISUAM) - Postgraduate Program of Rehabilitation Sciences, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between body adiposity and postural control in elderly women. INTRODUCTION: Aging and obesity account for a significant portion of healthcare spending. Life expectancy is increasing worldwide, and Rio de Janeiro has the largest proportion of elderly residents of all Brazilian states. METHODS: A total of 45 women underwent bioelectrical impedance analysis, waist circumference measurements, weight and height measurements, and stabilometric tests in eight different stance conditions (opened and closed bases with both eyes opened and closed and right and left tandem and unilateral stances with eyes opened) . During unilateral stances, the number of hand or foot contacts was counted. RESULTS: Weight, body mass index, waist circumference, fat percentage, and fat mass showed statistically significant (p,0.05) and positive correlations with the number of contacts made during unilateral stances. The subjects with greater fat mass showed significantly higher anterior-posterior standard deviation and range when their eyes were closed. The sway area was also greater for this group in opened base when their eyes were closed. DISCUSSION: The results relating body adiposity and postural control can be explained by the difficulty of maintaining a greater quantity of body fat mass within the limits of the individual support base, especially while assuming a unilateral stance. CONCLUSION: The subjects with a greater fat mass exhibited poor balance control, indicating that body adiposity level was associated with postural control in the elderly women examined in the present study. KEYWORDS: Body composition; Body fat distribution; Biomechanics; Musculoskeletal equilibrium; Aging. Mainenti MRM, Rodrigues EC, Oliveira JF, Ferreira AS, Dias CM, Silva ALS. Adiposity and postural balance control: Correlations between bioelectrical impedance and stabilometric signals in elderly Brazilian women. Clinics. 2011;66(9):1513-1518 . Received for publication on January 25, 2011; First review for publication on March 28, 2011; Accepted for publication on May 12, 2011 [E-mail: miriam.mainenti@hotmail.com](E-mail: miriam.mainenti@hotmail.com) [Tel.: 55 21 3882-9841](Tel.: 55 21 3882-9841) INTRODUCTION The number of individuals over age 60 is increasing worldwide. In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 12.8% of the population is considered to be elderly, and nationwide statistics show that the number of elderly people living alone increased by 16% between 1991 and 2000 .1 The number of obese individuals in Brazil is also increasing; 38.8 million Brazilian adults are either overweight or obese, corresponding to 40% of the adult population.2 In the United States, 66.3% of all adults over 20 years old and 71% of those over 60 years old are overweight or obese.3 It has been well This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License ([http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/)) which permits unrestricted noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. established that aging is associated with modifications in body composition, including decreased lean mass4,5 and increased truncal fat.6 This ‘‘sarcopenic obesity’’ influences normal walking speed and mobility disability,7 modifies balance control,8 and decreases stability limits in those with advanced obesity.9 The

FAQs

What was the objective of the study?

To investigate correlations between body adiposity and postural control in elderly women.

Which methods were used to assess adiposity and balance?

Bioelectrical impedance analysis, anthropometric measurements, and stabilometric tests across multiple stance conditions with eyes open or closed.

What were the key findings about fat mass and postural control?

Greater fat mass showed significant associations with more contacts during unilateral stances and with poorer balance indicators when eyes were closed.

Sep 5, 2026

Upload by Kyle