Relação do controle postural e nível de atividade física em um grupo de idosos

Abstract

With advancing age, one of the main physical commitments is a reduction in muscle performance, which leads to inactivity and loss of muscle strength. This can hinder the postural control, contributing to significant functional losses, decreased balance and greater risk of falls. An alternative to maintain good postural control is physical activity. This brings benefits to the elderly, insofar as improves functional capacity, balance, strength, coordination and speed movements, providing greater safety to the elderly in some movements. Accordingly, the purpose of this study is to investigate the connection between postural control and level of physical activity in a group of elderly from Center for Family Health Strategy (Unidade de Estratégia de Saúde da Família) - São José. This research is linked to the Postgraduate Course on Rehabilitation Physical-Motor from Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. For data collection, the following instruments were used: the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), to classify the level of physical activity and force platform - AMTI, and model OR6-5 (Advanced Mechanical Technologies, Inc.) for evaluation of postural control. The frequency of acquisition in force platform was 100 HZ, held at the Biomechanics Laboratory of the Center for Physical Education and Sports (CEFD - Centro de Educação Física e Desportos). The sample comprised 18 elderly of both genders, aged between 60 and 80 years old. For interpreting the physical activity level of the elderly was adopted a criterion based on recommendations of physical activity thresholds that result in health benefits, ranking as "active" individuals who practice for at least 300 minutes per week (min./wk.), with physical activity, as a minimum, moderate. Starting this criterion, the sample was divided into two groups: low active (GPA) (<300 min./wk.) and very active (GMA) (≥300 min./wk.). Normality Shapiro –Wilk – was used for statistical analysis. In the intergroup analysis, was used Student t test. U test, Mann-Whitney test, was chosen for comparison of asymmetric data. The level of significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. The group of 18 elderly was evaluated: 6 not fit the GPA and 12 were classified as GMA. The study results showed that frequency (p = 0.039) and time (p = 0.045) of vigorous activity was higher in the GMA; and also the time of weekly physical activity (p = 0.000). In a force platform, with eyes open, medial-lateral displacement, (COPml) in the GMA was lower (p = 0.042) as well as the elliptical area (p = 0.32). With eyes closed, elliptical area also showed statistical difference between groups (p = 0.006) and also low in GMA. It could be concluded that as the relationship between static balance and physical activity, the very active elderly had better postural control when compared to low active elderly.