@article{ref1,
title="Age-related differences in stair descent balance control: are women more prone to falls than men?",
journal="PLoS one",
year="2021",
author="Sarvestan, Javad and Kovacikova, Zuzana and Zemková, Erika",
volume="16",
number="1",
pages="e0244990-e0244990",
abstract="Stair descent is one of the most common forms of daily locomotion and concurrently one of the most challenging and hazardous daily activities performed by older  adults. Thus, sufficient attention should be devoted to this locomotion and to the  factors that affect it. This study investigates gender and age-related differences  in balance control during and after stair descent on a foam mat. Forty-seven older  adults (70% women) and 38 young adults (58% women) performed a descent from one step  onto a foam mat. Anteroposterior (AP) and mediolateral (ML) centre of pressure  velocity (CoP) and standard deviation of the CoP sway were investigated during stair  descent and restabilization. A two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed the  main effects of age for the first 5 s of restabilization. Older women exhibited  significantly higher values of CoP sway and velocity in both directions compared to  the younger individuals (CoP SDAP5, 55%; CoP SDML5, 30%; CoP VAP5, 106%; CoP VML5,  75%). Men achieved significantly higher values of CoP sway and velocity only in the  AP direction compared to their younger counterparts (CoP SDAP5, 50% and CoP VAP5,  79%). These findings suggest that with advancing age, men are at higher risk of  forward falls, whereas women are at higher risk of forward and sideways falls.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1932-6203",
doi="10.1371/journal.pone.0244990",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0244990"
}