A study on the characteristics of standing posture of elderly women with sarcopenia in Korea

This study intended to analyze the characteristics of standing posture and factors related to sarcopenia of elderly women in Korea to provide basic data for the development of rehabilitation programs designed to prevent and control of the sarcopenia of elderly women. A total of 194 elderly women, aged over 65 years old, living in Gyeonggi-do, were selected to diagnose the presence of sarcopenia through bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and muscle function test (gait speed and grip strength). The subjects were then distinguished into normal group (NG=92), presarcopenia group (PG=86), and sarcopenia group (SG=16); the standing posture of elderly women was captured with the three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique (PA200), and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out for the collected data through IBM SPSS Statistics ver. 23.0. The frontal measurements of standing posture, the pelvic level, R-patella center, and L-patella center, appeared with significant differences from each other whereas, the side measurements of standing posture, the R-earhole position, L-earhole position, R-shoulder position, L-shoulder position, R-pelvic angle, L-pelvic angle, R-knee position, and L-knee position, were also found with significant differences from each other. As a consequence, an intervention to be focusing on obese control was found necessary to prevent or to delay the presence of sarcopenia of elderly women. The positional displacement found from head, knee, and pelvis also necessitates the introduction of rehabilitation program customized for elderly women suffering the sarcopenia.