2.3. Population and Sample
vestibulopathies, absence of cognitive deficit
HEARING IMPAIRMENT, DIABETES MELLITUS, CARDIOVASCULAR DISEASES
To include the participants in the study, the following criteria were used: (a) a maximum age of 79 years old; (b) no practice of any type of physical exercise in the last three months; (c) absence of cognitive deficit, diabetes mellitus, vestibulopathies, cardiovascular diseases, visual, or hearing impairment; (d) independent ambulation and locomotion without auxiliary devices. The study excluded older women who had attended another proprioceptive rehabilitation program during the training or in the last three months and those who participated in less than 75% of the training program.The sample size was defined based on the results of a pilot study with 5 older women in each group and had as an outcome the difference (i.e., performance before training or control—performance after training or control) in the TUGT (Timed Up & Go test). For the sample calculation, α = 0.05 and test power (1-β) = 0.95 were considered, with 3 groups (control x conventional x exergame), which obtained a sample number of 36 individuals (i.e., 12 in each group). Considering the possibility of sample loss over the course of the 8-week intervention, the sample size was estimated with a 25% loss margin in each group; therefore, a sample number of 15 older women per group was expected (i.e., a total sample of 45 elderly). The calculation of the sample size was performed using the G*PowerAfter screening the participants according to the established criteria, and including 50 older women remained in the sample, which was submitted to stratified randomization by age (60–69/70–79) and BMI (low—less than or equal to 22.0/high—greater than or equal to 27.0), thus seeking a greater homogeneity in the allocation of the older women among the groups. From this stratification, the participants were distributed into four groups: age (60–69) and low BMI, age (60–69) and high BMI, age (70–79) and low BMI, and age (70–79) and high BMI.