Lifespan issues

Among older adults, falling is the leading secondary cause of death. Falling is related to stability in control of the body. Research shows that older adults choose to avoid situations that challenge postural stability. Yet, at the same time, millions of older adults pay large sums of money to take vacation cruises, where they are subjected to ship motion 24/7, in 6 degrees of freedom and, often, on the order of meters. We have begun to investigate postural control and postural performance among older adults in both terrestrial and nautical settings.

Publications

Munafo, J., Wade, M. G., Stergiou, N., & Stoffregen, T. A. (2016). The rim and the ancient mariner: The nautical horizon affects postural sway in older adults. PLoS ONE, 11(12): e0166900. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0166900.

Munafo, J., Curry, C., Wade, M. G., & Stoffregen, T. A. (2016). The distance of visual targets affects the spatial magnitude and multifractal scaling of standing body sway in younger and older adults. Experimental Brain Research, 234, 2721-2730.

Munafo, J., Wade, M. G., Stergiou, N., & Stoffregen, T. A. (2015). Subjective reports and postural performance among older adult passengers on a sea voyage. Ecological Psychology, 27, 127-143.