Effects of occupational risk factors on balance control

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate how external loading handling affect human on balance control during upright stance and evaluate the relative sensitivity of centre of pressure (COP) based measures to changes in postural steadiness related to gender differences. Four different types of external loading conditions (no load, load at the front, load by the sides and load at the back) were applied to a group of 16 young healthy participants (19 – 30 years old) consisted of 8 males and 8 females in each under both eyes opened and eyes closed conditions. The weight of the load is 10kg. The measures that identified differences between eyes opened and eyes closed conditions in the male participant group were different than those that identified differences between eyes conditions in the female participant group. Many factors such as balance sensor, physical difference and loading conditions do adversely affect the balance control. The result of this study will be useful to researchers and clinicians using COP-based measures to evaluate postural steadiness.