Postural stability in school-age children with mild bronchial asthma disease (a pilot study)

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed the postural stability in children with asthma using balance tests under conditions of a comfortable foot placement and with a foot placement provoking instability. Methods: A group of 10 school children from 8 to 10 years old with mild intermittent asthma and 10 healthy children of the same age range performed four balance tests in a randomized order: preferred stance, adjusted stance, and tandem stance each under both conditions of eyes opened (EO) and eyes closed (EC), as well as a one-legged stance with eyes-opened conditions. To determine postural stability, the center of pressure (CoP) movement was recorded. Basic stabilographic parameters were calculated: CoP velocity in the anterior–posterior direction, CoP velocity in the medial–lateral direction, and the total CoP velocity. Results: Statistically significant differences between the groups were found only for the one-legged stance. Significantly greater anterior–posterior CoP velocity (p = 0.05) and total CoP velocity (p = 0.03) were found in children with asthma when standing on the preferred foot. A significantly greater medial–lateral velocity (p = 0.02) was also found in the non-preferred foot of children with asthma. Conclusions: We can conclude that standing on one leg might be an appropriate test with which to identify balance differences between young children with mild intermittent asthma and healthy children.

• Balance tests
• center of pressure velocity
• postural balance
• stable phase of asthma

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge Petr Stepanik, Zuzana Jarosova, Andrea Strmiskova, Helena Trncikova, Eliska Kordikova and Gabriela Koprivova who aided in this study.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The authors would like to acknowledge the project: “Support for the creation of excellent research teams and intersectoral mobility at Palacky University in Olomouc” Reg. No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0004.