DOI: 10.1177/03000605261489342 ISSN: 0300-0605

Postural stability in young adults with low-degree refractive errors: A prospective observational study

Emine Çetin Duru, Aynura Sariyeva Aydamirov, Ayna Sariyeva Ismayilov
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Objective

To investigate whether uncorrected low-degree refractive errors are associated with alterations in postural stability in young adults using the Biodex Balance System.

Methods

This prospective observational study included 71 young adults classified into three groups: (a) emmetropia (n = 23); (b) low-degree myopia (n = 20); and (c) low-degree astigmatism (n = 28). The emmetropic group served as the comparison group. Postural stability was evaluated using the Biodex Balance System under four testing conditions: (a) eyes open–firm surface; (b) eyes closed–firm surface; (c) eyes open–foam surface; and (d) eyes closed–foam surface. Primary outcomes included the overall stability index and central stability percentage. Secondary outcomes included sway velocity and sway index measurements.

Results

Participants with low-degree astigmatism demonstrated significantly higher instability and lower central stability compared with the emmetropic and low-myopia groups (both p  < 0.001). In unadjusted comparisons, there were no significant differences in the overall stability index or central stability percentage between the low-myopia and emmetropia groups ( p  = 0.717 and 0.166, respectively). Adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index confirmed significant overall refractive-group effects for both primary outcomes (both p  < 0.001). Sway velocity and sway index values were significantly higher in the low-myopia group during eyes-open tasks, particularly in the eyes open–firm surface and eyes open–foam surface conditions ( p  = 0.001 and p  = 0.002, respectively). No significant between-group differences were observed during eyes-closed assessments.

Conclusions

Uncorrected low-degree refractive errors were associated with measurable differences in postural stability, particularly under conditions relying on visual feedback. Low-degree astigmatism was associated with reduced overall stability, whereas low-degree myopia was associated with greater sway during visually guided tasks. These findings suggest that even mild refractive changes may have functional implications for balance performance in young adults.

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