Analysis of developmental trends in static balance among  preschool children based on multicenter research

YANG Zhiyong; HE Yanlu; DONG Wenhong; KUANG Xiaoni; ZHANG Xuejiao; WANG Nianrong; LUO Yan; YANG Lin; ZHU Zonghan; WANG Jian; GUAN Hongyan; TONG Meiling

doi:10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-0882

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Chinese Journal of Child Health Care ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3) : 265-270. DOI: 10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-0882

Original Articles

Analysis of developmental trends in static balance among preschool children based on multicenter research

YANG Zhiyong^1*, HE Yanlu^1*, DONG Wenhong², KUANG Xiaoni³, ZHANG Xuejiao⁴, WANG Nianrong⁵, LUO Yan⁶, YANG Lin⁷, ZHU Zonghan⁸, WANG Jian⁹, GUAN Hongyan¹⁰, TONG Meiling¹

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Abstract

Objective To analyze the trend of static balance ability among preschool children with age and the heterogeneity of age influence on it, in order to provide a basis for the assessment and intervention of early childhood balance ability. Methods Using stratified cluster sampling, a total of 1 605 children aged 3 to 6 years were recruited from eight cities in six administrative regions across China between August 2020 and May 2021. They were divided into seven age groups by half-year increments. The one-leg standing test was conducted under different conditions, and the following durations were recorded: Open-eye left-foot stand(OL), open-eye right-foot stand(OR), closed-eye left-foot stand(CL), and closed-eye right-foot stand(CR). Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyze the trend of static balance development. Quantile regression analysis was used to assess the heterogeneity of age's influence on one-leg standing time. Results The duration of OL(H=424.881), OR(H=383.511), CL(H=216.635), and CR(H=209.754) significantly increased with age(P＜0.001). The differences between OL and CL, and between OR and CR, showed a steady increase each year, with statistically significant differences among age groups (H=355.351, 303.520, P<0.001). At the 0.05 quantile level of one-leg standing time, the regression coefficient for age's influence on one-leg standing time was much lower than that at the 0.50 and 0.95 quantile levels. Conclusions The static balance ability of preschool children improves with age but exhibits age-specific characteristics, with 4 to 5 years being a critical period for balance ability enhancement. Among the sensory mechanisms affecting balance ability,vision plays a more significant role. There is heterogeneity in the influence of age on one-leg standing time among preschool children, and those with poorer ability do not show signs of improvement with age. Therefore, early attention should be paid to the balance ability of preschool children, with timely interventions to promote the development of their motor skills.

Key words

balance / one-leg stance with eyes open / one-leg stance with eyes closed / preschool children / quantile regression

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YANG Zhiyong, HE Yanlu, DONG Wenhong, KUANG Xiaoni, ZHANG Xuejiao, WANG Nianrong, LUO Yan, YANG Lin, ZHU Zonghan, WANG Jian, GUAN Hongyan, TONG Meiling. Analysis of developmental trends in static balance among preschool children based on multicenter research[J]. Chinese Journal of Child Health Care. 2025, 33(3): 265-270 https://doi.org/10.11852/zgetbjzz2024-0882

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