Investigation of mobility and balance ability in older adults

Abstract

With the rising number of the ageing population in Singapore, the number of older adults with mobility and balance issues increases as well. This is due to the decline in physical activity levels due to ageing which leads to a decrease in muscle strength, hence increasing the risk of falls. Mobility and balance ability are crucial in assessing an individual’s wellbeing and frailty. However, current clinical assessment tools are subjective and lack precision. By using a laboratory-based motion capture system, it is an effective method for objective assessment of human motion during activities similar to activities of daily living. Therefore, this study aims to collect and analyze motion data of normal and prefrail older adults to be used to characterize mobility and balance ability between the two sample groups. The study will recruit 10 healthy and 5 prefrail subjects and trials will be conducted using the Qualysis motion capture system. Subsequently, the study can provide preliminary evidence of the differences in motion between the two sample groups which can help in further development in more accurate assessments for mobility and balance ability in older adults.