Abstract
The postural and functional balance abilities of workers in physically demanding jobs were assessed in relation to age and occupation. Postural balance was tested with a force platform, and functional balance was measured during walking on a wooden plank. The subjects, 23–61 years of age, were fire fighters (men, n = 69), construction workers (men, n = 52), nursing staff (women, n = 51), and home care workers (women, n = 66). In the older (≥50 years) groups the time used for the functional balance test was 3–5 s longer and the velocity moment of the postural balance was 16–30 mm2/s higher than in the groups aged ≤39 years. Construction workers performed better than fire fighters, and both groups had better functional balance than home care workers and nursing staff. The balance demands of work and deterioration with age should be taken into account when work ability is promoted, especially among older workers in physically demanding jobs.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
REFERENCES
Hsiao H, Simeonov P. Preventing falls from roofs: A critical review. Ergonomics 2001; 44: 537–561.
Lusa S, Louhevaara V, Kinnunen K. Are the job demands on physical work capacity equal for young and aging firefighters? J Occup Med 1994; 36: 70–74.
Ilmarinen J, Suurnäkki T, Nygård C-H, Landau K. Classification of municipal occupations. Scand J Work Environ Health 1991; 17(ppl 1): 12–29.
Era P, Heikkinen E. Postural sway during standing and unexpected disturbance of balance in random samples of men of different ages. J Gerontol 1985; 40: 287–295.
Ekdahl C, Jarnlo GB, Andersson SI. Standing balance in healthy subjects: Evaluation of a quantitative test battery on a force platform. Scand J Rehabil Med 1989; 21: 187–195.
Colledge NR, Cantley P, Peaston I, Brash H, Lewis S, Wilson JA. Ageing and balance: The measurement of spontaneous sway by posturography. Gerontology 1994; 40: 273–278.
Gill J, Allum JHJ, Carpenter MG, Held-Ziolkowska M, Adkin AL, Honegger F, Pierchala K. Trunk sway measures of postural stability during clinical balance tests: Effects of age. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2001; 56A: M438-M447.
Kollegger H, Baumgartner C, Wöber C, Oder W, Deecke L. Spontaneous body sway as a function of sex, age, and vision: Posturographic study in 30 healthy adults. Eur Neurol 1992; 32: 253–259.
Matheson AJ, Darlington CL, Smith PF. Further evidence for age-related deficts in human postural function. J Vestib Res 1999; 9: 261–264.
Pohjonen T. Age-related physical fitness and the predictive values of fitness tests for work ability in home care work. J Occup Environ Med 2001; 43: 723–739.
Gantchev GN, Dunev ST. Study of the body sway of workers at high buildings. Agressologie 1978; 19B: 67–68.
Punakallio A, Lusa-Moser S, Louhevaara V, Viikari-Juntura E, Ilmarinen R, Ollila J, Korhonen O, Luukkonen R, Lindqvist-Virkamäki S. Health, physical and mental capacity of fire fighters in different age groups. In: Ilmarinen J, Louhevaara V, eds. FinnAge—respect for the aging: Action programme to promote health, work ability and well-being of aging workers in 1990&96. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 1999, pp. 117–127. People and work. Research reports 26.
Punakallio A, Louhevaara V, Lusa-Moser S. Evaluation of a functional test for assessing dynamic balance of fire fighters. In: Seppälä P, Luopajärvi T, Nygård C-H, Mattila M, eds. Proceedings of the 13th Triennal Congress of the International Ergonomics Association, Vol. 4. Helsinki: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, 1997, pp. 393–395.
Good balance user's manual (Version 2–54). Jyväskylä, Finland: Metitur, 2001. See also http://www-metitur-com.
Era P, Schroll M, Yttig H, Gause-Nilsson I, Heikkinen E, Steen B. Postural balance and its sensory-motor correlates in 75-year-old men and women: A cross-national comparative study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 1996; 51A: M53-M63.
Sihvonen S, Era P. Test-retest reliability of easy and more demanding balance tests in young, middle-aged and elderly participants. World congress abstracts. J Aging Phys Activ 1999; 7: 312–313.
Aura O, ed. Liite ry. Kuntotestauksen perusteet [Principles of fitness testing] [In Finnish]. Helsinki: Liikuntalääketieteen ja testaustoiminnan edistämisyhdistys, 1994.
Lusa S. Job demands and assesment of the physical work capacity of fire fighters. Jyväskylä, Finland: University of Jyväskylä, 1994. Studies in sport, physical education and health 33.
Aromaa A, Heliövaara M, Impivaara O, Knekt P, Maatela J, Joukamaa M. Terveys, toimintakyky ja hoidontarve Suomessa [Health, functional limitations and need for care in Finland. Basic results from the Mini-Finland Health Survey] [In Finnish]. Helsinki: Kansaneläkelaitoksen julkaisuja, 1989. Publications of the Social Insurance Institution AL: 32, English Summary.
SAS/STAT User's guide (Version 6, 4th ed., Vols. 1 and 2) Cary, NC: SAS, 1989.
Kohen-Ratz R, Kohen-Ratz A, Erel J, Davidson B, Caine Y, Froom P. Postural control in pilots and canditates for flight training. Aviat Space Environ Med 1994; 65: 323–326.
Nygård C-H, Luopajärvi T, Suurnäkki T, Ilmarinen J. Muscle strength and muscle endurance of middle-aged women and men associated to type, duration and intensity of muscular load at work. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 1988; 60: 291–297.
Panzer VP, Bandinelli S, Hallett M. Biomechanical assesment of quiet standing and changes associated with aging. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1995; 76: 151–157.
Hytönen M, Pyykkö I, Aalto H, Starck J. Postural control and age. Acta Otolaryngol (Stockh) 1993; 113: 119–122.
Sihvonen S, Hofmann C, Era P. Development of postural abilities across the life span parallels changes in muscle strength. In: Häkkinen K-, ed. Proceedings of the International Conference on Weightlifting and Strength Training. Lahti, Finland, 1998, pp. 215–216.
Takala E-P, Korhonen I, Viikari-Juntura E. Postural sway and stepping response among working population: Reproducibility, long-term stability, and associations with symptoms of the low back. Clin Biomech 1997; 12: 429–437.
Geurts ACH, Nienhuis B, Mulder TW. Intrasubject variability of selected force-platform parameters in the quantification of postural control. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 1993; 74: 1144–1150.
Parnianpour M, Frankel VH, Nordin M. Safety and older workers in the workplace. In: Mital A, ed. Advances in industrial ergonomics and safety I. London: Taylor and Francis, 1989, pp. 367–374.
Welford AT. Changes of performance with age: An overview. In: Charness N, ed. Ageing and human performance. Chichester: Wiley, 1985, pp. 333–369.
Ono Y, Lagerström M, Hagberg M, Linden A, Malker B. Reports of work related musculoskeletal injury among home care service workers compared with nursery school workers and the general population of employed women in Sweden. Occup Environ Med 1995; 52: 686–693.
Takala E-P, Viikari-Juntura E. Do functional tests predict low back pain?Spine 2000; 25: 2126–2132.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Punakallio, A. Balance Abilities of Different-Aged Workers in Physically Demanding Jobs. J Occup Rehabil 13, 33–43 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021845823521
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1021845823521