The effect of advanced age and stool modification on reaching distance in sitting

Abstract

[Purpose] Reaching is an important functional ability. We investigated the effect of advanced age and stool modification on sitting reach distance. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-four participants (twelve older adults 70 ± 4 years and twelve young adults 29 ± 4 years) reached forward and laterally while sitting on an adjustable stool with 0°, 10° forward, 10° backward, 10° right or 10° left inclination of the seat, with and without footrest and front, back or side leg support. [Results] The outcome of this exploratory study revealed that young adults reached farther than older adults across all the directions of reach and seat conditions. While the inclined seat was utilized, both young and older adults reached farthest in the forward direction. Additional leg supports allowed to reach further; however, older adults were not able to reach in the forward direction as far as young adults. When reaching in the lateral direction, leg support had minimal effect on the reach distance. [Conclusion] Age affects the sitting functional reach ability. Future research should focus on investigating the efficiency of interventions to enhance performance of functional tasks in sitting older adults.