Objective: As people age, irreversible changes occur in cells and organs as part of the aging process, which can lead to balance disorders and falls that decrease an individual's functionality. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between physical activity levels and balance levels among individuals living in a nursing home.

Material and Method: Sixty-seven participants living in the Karabük Yücel Nursing Home, who had no communication problems and were not in the special care unit, were included in the study. All individuals living in the nursing home were included in the evaluation, no sampling was done. A four-part questionnaire was used as the data collection tool.

Results: A strong positive relationship was found between International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SHORT) scores and Tinetti Balance and Gait Test scores among the participants in the study. As the physical activity score increased, better balance and gait behaviors were observed.

Conclusion: The binary logistic regression analysis applied to determine the age, gender, fall history, Body Mass Index (BMI), and IPAQ score of the individuals participating in the study in terms of their balance level showed that the resulting model was statistically significant. The results showed that individuals with higher levels of physical activity had a significantly lower risk of experiencing balance problems.

Elderly individuals Balance Physical activity