Usefulness of the tri-axial accelerometer for assessing balance function in children

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to verify whether the tri-axial accelerometer can be used for quantitatively evaluating balance function in children. MethodsIn total, 198 participants, including 172 healthy children aged 3-11 years (87 boys, 85 girls) and 26 young adults aged 21-24 years (seven men, 19 women), were enrolled in this study. The participants undertook three types of balance tasks: quiet standing with eyes open and closed, one-leg standing on the dominant leg and non-dominant leg, and walking on the floor and a balance beam. We derived the root mean square from participants' accelerations measured by the tri-axial accelerometer. ResultsWe found that for quiet standing, one-leg standing, and walking tasks, postural sway decreased with age. Girls controlled their posture better than boys of the same age on all tasks. There was a significant sex difference in quiet standing for children aged 8-9 years. Furthermore, sex differences existed in one-leg standing for children aged 5-11 years. A mild positive correlation was observed between static and dynamic balance. ConclusionsThe tri-axial accelerometer is a useful quantitative tool for evaluating both static and dynamic balance function in children. Thus, it has the potential to be used clinically for diagnosis and rehabilitation.