@article{ref1,
title="Concurrent validity of the Wii Stillness Test as a measure of balance performance in older adults",
journal="Gerontechnology",
year="2020",
author="Simms, Anton J. and Hernandez, Luis R. and Sebastião, Emerson",
volume="19",
number="3",
pages="1-5",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Research grade laboratory force plates are considered the gold standard method of assessing balance performance. However, these can cost upwards of thousands of dollars. Discovering a more cost-effective way of assessing balance performance could prove to be beneficial to the older adult community. The Wii Stillness Test, a preprogrammed balance assessment test as part of Nintendo's Wii Fit exergame, may bring a solution in the form of providing an easily acquisitioned measure of balance performance. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the concurrent validity of the Wii Stillness Test (WST) as a measure of static balance performance in older adults by comparing WST scores with balance metrics collected via force platform. <br><br>METHODS: Older adults without cognitive or lower body impairment were recruited. Participants completed 1 session of 6 30-second dual-stance balance assessments: 3 on the Wii Balance Board using Wii Fit software and WST, 3 on the force platform. WST calculates a score (ST) while 95% sway area (SA) and average sway velocity (SV) were calculated from the center of pressure data. All scores were averaged. <br><br>RESULTS: A total of 26 older adults (16 females and 10 males), mean age 81.31 ± 7.84 years, and body mass index of 27.72 ± 4.92 kg/m2 were assessed. Spearman's rho correlations coefficients revealed a significant association between ST scores and 95% SA (ρ=-.61; p= 001) and a marginal association between ST scores and SV (ρ=-.33; p=.096). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest the WST is a valid method of assessing static balance performance in older adults.   Keywords: Exergame, balance, older adults, validation<p />",
language="en",
issn="1569-1101",
doi="10.4017/gt.2020.19.003.04",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.4017/gt.2020.19.003.04"
}