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Affiliation
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T.P. Haines, PhD, BPhysio(Hons), GradCertHealth Economics, Faculty of Medicine Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, and Allied Health Research Unit, Monash Health. |
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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Effective balance rehabilitation is critically important to the ageing population. Optimal exercise prescription for balance rehabilitation has not been described, as there is no measure of balance exercise intensity. To rate the intensity of balance exercise, an item-set is required.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to explore verbal and non-verbal markers that differentiated tasks of high, medium and low balance intensity, to inform the development of an instrument to measure the intensity of balance challenge.
DESIGN: Observational study utilising an interpretive description approach.
METHODS: Twenty older adults were observed performing three balance tasks, that challenged balance at low to high intensity. Verbal and non-verbal responses were recorded. After each task, participants were also asked to describe the test experience. Data were analysed to identify potential markers of balance challenge intensity.
RESULTS: Markers of the intensity of balance challenge were grouped by time periods defined as pre-task, in-task and post-task. A key finding pre-task was an increased delay to task commencement task difficulty increased. Commencement delay was accompanied by talk in nineteen of twenty-one instances. Physical markers of the intensity of balance challenge were grouped into three categories: bracing, postural reactions and sway and were increasingly observed as intensity of balance challenge increased. Participants described tasks as pushing them towards the limits of their balancing capacity as the intensity of balance challenge increased.
CONCLUSIONS: Verbal and non-verbal markers of the intensity of balance challenge in older adults performing balance tasks that differentiated high intensity from medium to low intensity tasks were identified. The 'pre-task phase' of balance exercise performance is an important diagnostic space, rich in verbal and non-verbal markers.
Language: en |