Relationship of Balance, Functional Capacity and Fear of Movement With Lower Extremity Muscle Strength in Elderly

Relationship of Balance, Functional Capacity, Fear of Movement and Quality of Life With Lower Extremity Muscle Strength in Elderly People

Aging is a period in which the morphological, physiological and pathological changes progress negatively, accompanied by various diseases and regression of physical and mental abilities. In this period, the individual experiences biological and physiological losses as well as social problems in his/her life. From the age of 65, approximately 80% decrease in muscle strength can be observed and this decrease is especially noticeable in the leg and trunk muscles. Decreases in the strength of the muscles in the lower extremities may cause deterioration in physical function, decrease in mobility, increase in falling related accidents, also can cause osteoporosis and physical deficiencies. Determining the structures with which the lower extremity muscle strength is related will facilitate the precautionary measures for the inadequacies that will arise in the later stages of aging.

This study was performed to analyze the relationship of lower extremity muscle strength with balance, functional capacity, fear of movement and quality of life in elderly individuals living in nursing homes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The participant must be 65-88 years old,
• The participant must have a minimus score of 24 on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE),
• No cognitive impairment,
• The participant must be independent of daily life activities (must not use an assistive device for walking).

Exclusion Criteria:

• Having a disease that can affect balance (vestibular, neurological, orthopedic ...) performing regular exercise
• Uncontrolled hypertension or arrhythmia
• Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
• Orthopedic, neurological or musculoskeletal problems
• Postural hypotension
• Obesity (body mass index>40)
• Uncompensated clinical conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, interstitial lung disease, heart failure, or rheumatic and psychiatric diseases