Frailty is a clinical condition that results in increased vulnerability to adverse health outcomes in older adults, such as falls, hospitalization, disability, and mortality. Thus, great efforts have been made to prevent the transition from the robust elderly to the frail state. We know that balance and muscle strength are often addressed to prevent these negative outcomes, however, it is unclear if there are differences between groups classified by physical frailty.

To compare balance (One-leg standing, postural stability in gait, sensory interaction in balance, chair sit-up) and muscle strength (trunk extensors-TE, hip extensors-HE, hip abductors-HA, knee extensors-KE, and plantar flexors-PF) in community-dwelling older adults classified as robust (non-frail) and vulnerable (pre-frail or frail)).

Cross-sectional observational study with community-dwelling older adults (60 years or older) of both sexes, with independent gait and recruited by convenience. One-leg standing balance (30 seconds), postural stability in gait (Functional Gait Assessment), sensory interaction in balance (Modified Clinical Test of Sensory Interaction and Balance), sit-up from a chair five times, and muscle strength (maximal isometric contraction) of TE, HE, HA, KE, and PF, expressed by torque and normalized by body weight (microFET2 hand dynamometer) were assessed. The robust and vulnerable elderly were classified by physical frailty phenotype. Mann-Whitney analysis was used to compare the variables between groups. The significance level was set at 5%.

118 older adults were evaluated, of these 35 were robust and 85 were vulnerable. Descriptive and comparison data were expressed as mean ± standard deviation for the robust and vulnerable groups, respectively: one-leg standing balance (18.17 seconds ± 2.09; ± 10.73 seconds ± 1.16; p=0.005), postural stability in gait (23.80 ± 0.73; 21.41 ± 0.55; p = 0.014), sensory interaction in balance (113.83 seconds ± 1.98; 102.98 seconds ± 2.30; p=0.001), chair sit-up (10.78 seconds ± 0.30; 13.77 ± 0.61; p = 0.001), TE muscle strength (1.17 ± 0.081; 0.98 ± 0.04; p = 0.069), HE (0.47 ± 0.46; 0.42 ± 0.02; p = 0.463), HA (1.01 ± 0.05; 0.88 ± 0.03; p = 0.068), KE (1.23 ± 0.09; 1.04 ± 0.04; p= 0.111), PF (1.59 ±1.10; 0.82 ± 0.41; p = 0.059). According to the results only the balance variables showed difference between the groups.

The older adults vulnerable to physical fragility had worse one-leg standing balance, less postural stability during gait, less sensory interaction on balance and spent more time to get up from a chair when compared to the robust elderly. Parameters of muscle strength showed no differences between the groups. Continuation of the study with increased sample size is necessary for confirmation of the results. Support from CAPES, FAPEMIG, CNPq.

From the findings found, it highlights the importance of evaluating balance in several perspectives in older adults’ people vulnerable to physical frailty. Further studies may address whether interventions directed at these variables can modify frailty status.