Differences between males and females in static and dynamic balance from 4 to 74 years of age

PURPOSE: The primary aim of the study was to compare the static and dynamic balance characteristics of males vs. females in the age range 4-74 years. Method: A sample of 3916 subjects (2024 male and 1892 female) volunteered for the study. A One-Leg static balance test and a Gesell dynamic balance test were performed to obtain balance data in both males and females. Both groups were stratified by 5 years increments, starting from 4 years of age. One-way ANOVAs were used for statistical analyses.
RESULTS: These were only 3 significant (p<0.05) gender differences for static balance, 39-43 y (male: 153.74 ± 32.35s vs female: 124.51 ± 47.38s, mean± SD), 49-53 y (male: 127.00 ± 46.00s vs female: 102.18 ± 49.38s), 64-74 y (male: 35.77 ± 17.65s vs female: 27.77 ± 18.19s). Furthermore these were only 4 significant (p<0.05) gender difference for dynamic balance, 14-18 y (male: 2.32 ± 0.95s vs female: 2.76 ± 1.12s), 19-23 y (male: 1.45 ± 0.44s vs female: 1.82 ± 0.59s), 24-28 y (male: 2.17 ± 0.80s vs female: 3.69 ± 2.25s), 29-33 y (male: 2.84 ± 1.18s vs female 3.76 ± 1.32s).
CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrated no significant differences with respect to static balance from 4 to 39 years of age. From this age onward, better static balance was demonstrated in males compared to females. It is possible to speculate, that differences in static balance could be as a result of preferentially greater decrements in muscle strength in females compare to males. A different pattern of results emerged for dynamic balance. Despite only 4 statistically significant differences with regard to gender. All values for dynamic balance were greater in males compared to females, irrespective of age group. It is possible to speculate that the greater strength increases seen in males compared to females following puberty could be responsible for the statistically better dynamic balance seen in the males from 14-33 years of age.