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Pavlů D.1, Palasová I.1
1Charles University, Physiotherapy, Prague, Czech Republic
Background: There exist a number of research studies, which analyse postural stability by deaf childern, however there is a absence of studies, which analyse postural stability by the deaf adults.
Purpose: To compare the postural stability between the deaf and the normal hearing adults, and to find out if the statistically significant difference in measured parameters does exist.
Methods: 102 subjects (age 2045 y.) participated in this study. The experimental group consisted of 35 deaf adult subjects with congenital or early childhood deafness. The control group has been made by 67 normal hearing adult subjects. The postural stability was objectively evaluated by Footscan, the pressure measuring plate. Nine tests were passed, duration of each test was 30 seconds. The total travelled way (TTW) expressing the total path the centre of acting pressure travelled during the test and the Romberg ratio, which is the ratio of TTW values under the condition of closed and open eyes, were selected as indicators of postural stability. T-test was used to assess the statistical significance of the differences between the group of deaf adults and normal hearing group. To estimate the influence of individual characteristics of the subjects (evaluating the data from the questionnaires) to their postural stability,
the ordinary least squares estimator was used.
Results: The experimental group was on average worse in eight out of nine types of tests. The results of the regression analysis showed statistically significant differences in favour of normal hearing adults in two measured postural stability tests. The differences were significant at 1% (p = 0.006) in case of standing on a firm surface with narrow stance, with closed eyes, and at 5% (p = 0.014) in case of standing on a foam pad with wide stance, with closed eyes. The estimation results also indicated that there was a significantly stronger deterioration of stability due to closed eyes in case of deaf adults than in the control group.
Conclusion(s): Our results demonstrated, that the postural stability, objectively evaluated by nine tests by 102 subjects, was by deaf adults, aged 20 45 years significantly worse than the postural stability by adults without auditory disorders.
Implications: (1) Worse postural stability by deaf adults can be expected.
(2) Considering worse postural stability by deaf adults also higher risk for falls can be expected.
(3) Information about fall risk and their prevention can be disseminated by delf adults.
Funding acknowledgements: Charles University, No. P38 Biological aspects of the investigation of human movement
Topic: Disability & rehabilitation
Ethics approval: Charles University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, No: EK UK FTVS 132/2015
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
