Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences

The Correlation and Reliability of Determining Non-dominant Leg Tests in Order to Assess Standing Balance

Document Type : Original Articles

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of Exercise Physiology, School of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, School of Educational Sciences and Psychology, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Department of Educational Sciences, School of Humanities, Shahid Rajaii Teacher Training University,Tehran, Iran

10.22122/jrrs.v13i5.3014

Abstract

Introduction: Determining non-dominant leg in balance researches is important. Due to lack of specific test for determining non-dominant leg, the researchers had determined dominant leg, and then considered the opposite leg as non-dominant leg. Since, the used method had some drawbacks, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the correlation and reliability of tests for determining non-dominant leg.Materials and Methods: 28 women were selected through purposeful sampling method among the students aged 18-25 years in Alzahra University, Tehran, Iran, and participated in this study. Field and laboratory tests included tests for determining preferred leg during stability task, functional test of stability task, single-leg stance balance tests, and weigh distribution on legs test during double leg stance. In order to study the manner of weight distribution on legs, a force plate and motion analysis system were used. MATLAB software was used for data analysis, and statistical analysis was done using SPSS software.Results: Highest correlation (r = 0.85) was related to two tests of hopping and landing from height (P = 0.001). There was also moderate correlation between hopping (r = 0.40) and landing from height (r = 0.47) tests and hopping distance test (P = 0.005). Results of reliability of tests revealed that only these three tests have high reliability. When method for calculating average values of trials was somehow modified, small but significant correlation appeared between single-leg stance test with landing (r = 0.28) and hopping skill distance (r = 0.29) tests (P = 0.020). There was no significant correlation between double leg stance test with stability task and single leg stance balance tests.Conclusion: Tests for determining non-dominant leg should be proportionate to task in research. Single-leg stance balance test used in the present study had not acceptable reliability, and based on the stability task and balance single-leg stance tests used in this study, manner of weigh distribution on legs at double leg stance condition cannot be shown.

Keywords

  1. Harris AJ. Lateral dominance and reading disability. J Learn Disabil 1979; 12(5): 337-43.
  2. Papadatou-Pastou M. Handedness and language lateralization: Why are we right-handed and left-brained? Hellenic Journal of Psychology 2011; 8: 248-65.
  3. Velotta J, Weyer J, Ramirez A, Winstead J, Bahamonde R. Relationship between leg dominance tests and type of task. Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences 2011; 11(Suppl 2): 1035-8.
  4. Bhise SA, Patil NK. Dominant and non-dominant leg activities in young adults. International Journal of Therapies and Rehabilitation Research 2016; 5(4): 257-64.
  5. Gentry V, Gabbard C. Foot-preference behavior: A developmental perspective. J Gen Psychol 1995; 122(1): 37-45.
  6. Clifford AM, Holder-Powell H. Postural control in healthy individuals. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2010; 25(6): 546-51.
  7. Kilroy EA, Crabtree OM, Crosby B, Parker A, Barfield WR. The effect of single-leg stance on dancer and control group static balance. Int J Exerc Sci 2016; 9(2): 110-20.
  8. Georgios G, Kollias N, Charalampos T, Konstantinos A. Over-representation of mixed-footedness among professional and semi-professional soccer players: An innate superiority or a strategic advantage? J Hum Movement Stud 2002; 42(1): 19-29.
  9. Reed S, Jennings N, Nakamura J, Wilson A. Determining leg dominance using the Unipedal Stance Test (UPST). Proceedings of the Physical Therapy Research Symposium; 2015 Oct 24; Tacoma, WA, USA.
  10. van Melick N, Meddeler BM, Hoogeboom TJ, Nijhuis-van der Sanden MWG, van Cingel REH. How to determine leg dominance: The agreement between self-reported and observed performance in healthy adults. PLoS One 2017; 12(12): e0189876.
  11. Swearingen J, Lawrence E, Stevens J, Jackson C, Waggy C, Davis DS. Correlation of single leg vertical jump, single leg hop for distance, and single leg hop for time. Phys Ther Sport 2011; 12(4): 194-8.
  12. Yamamoto A, Sasagawa S, Oba N, Nakazawa K. Behavioral effect of knee joint motion on body's center of mass during human quiet standing. Gait Posture 2015; 41(1): 291-4.
  13. Freitas SM, Duarte M. Joint coordination in young and older adults during quiet stance: effect of visual feedback of the center of pressure. Gait Posture 2012; 35(1): 83-7.
  14. Rougier PR. Relative contribution of the pressure variations under the feet and body weight distribution over both legs in the control of upright stance. Journal of Biomechanics 2007; 40(11): 2477-82.
  15. Faul F, Erdfelder E, Lang AG, Buchner A. G*Power 3: A flexible statistical power analysis program for the social, behavioral, and biomedical sciences. Behav Res Methods 2007; 39(2): 175-91.
  16. Dorneles PP, de Silva FS, Mota CB. Comparison of postural balance among groups of women with different age ranges. Fisioterapia e Pesquisa 2015; 22(4): 392-7.
  17. de Almeida IA, Terra MB, de Oliveira MR, Silva Junior RA, Ferraz HB, Santos SMS. Comparing postural balance among older adults and Parkinson's disease patients. Motriz: Rev Educ Fis 2016; 22(4): 261-5.
  18. Fong SSM, Chung LMY, Bae YH, Vackova D, Ma AWW, Liu KPY. Neuromuscular processes in the control of posture in children with developmental coordination disorder: Current evidence and future research directions. Curr Dev Disord Rep 2018; 5(1): 43-8.
  19. Samaei A, Bakhtiary AH, Elham F, Rezasoltani A. Effects of genu varum deformity on postural stability. Int J Sports Med 2012; 33(6): 469-73.
  20. Sziver E, Nagy E, Preszner-Domjan A, Posa G, Horvath G, Balog A, et al. Postural control in degenerative diseases of the hip joint. Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2016; 35: 1-6.
  21. Bahamonde R, Weyer J, Velotta J, Middleton A. Effects of leg dominance on the single leg hop functional test in non-injured adults. Proceedings of the 30th Annual Conference of Biomechanics in Sports; 2012; Melbourne, Australia. p. 31-4.
  22. Clark MS. The Unilateral Forefoot Balance Test: Reliability and validity for measuring balance in late midlife women. NZ Journal of Physiotherapy 2007; 35(3): 110-8.
  23. Chapman JP, Chapman LJ, Allen JJ. The measurement of foot preference. Neuropsychologia 1987; 25(3): 579-84.
  24. Ludwig O, Simon S, Piret J, Becker S, Marschall F. Differences in the dominant and non-dominant knee valgus angle in junior elite and amateur soccer players after unilateral landing. Sports 2017; 5(1): 14.
  25. Springer BA, Marin R, Cyhan T, Roberts H, Gill NW. Normative values for the unipedal stance test with eyes open and closed. J Geriatr Phys Ther 2007; 30(1): 8-15.
  26. Winter DA. Human balance and posture control during standing and walking. Gait Posture 1995; 3(4): 193-214.
  27. Ghazaleh L, Anbarian M, Damavandi M. Prediction of body center of mass acceleration from trunk and lower limb joints accelerations during quiet standing. Physical Treatment 2017; 7 (2): 103-12.
  28. Nunnally JC. Psychometric theory. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1978.
  29. Alonso AC, Brech GC, Bourquin AM, Greve JM. The influence of lower-limb dominance on postural balance. Sao Paulo Med J 2011; 129(6): 410-3.
  30. Tsang WW, Hui-Chan CW. Static and dynamic balance control in older golfers. J Aging Phys Act 2010; 18(1): 1-13.
Journal of Research in Rehabilitation Sciences
Volume 13, Issue 5 - Serial Number 5
January 2018
Pages 255-262