Background: Hip abductor muscles play a critical role in stabilizing the pelvis during functional activities. A decline in hip abductor strength is associated with impaired balance and an increased risk of falls, particularly in elderly females who experience physiological changes and age-related muscle loss. Although limb dominance has been proposed to influence lower extremity muscle strength in young adults, no studies have yet examined differences in hip abductor strength between the dominant and non-dominant limbs in elderly females. Furthermore, the relationship between hip abductor strength and self-reported functional ability, as measured by the Korean version of the Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS), has not been investigated in this population. Objects: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between hip abductor strength and the Korean version of the LEFS and to compare hip abductor strength between the dominant and non-dominant limbs in elderly females. Methods: Sixty-seven elderly females were recruited from community centers. Hip abductor strength was measured using a Smart KEMA Pulling Sensor. The relationship between hip abductor strength and LEFS scores was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation coefficient, while a paired t-test was used to identify significant differences in strength between the dominant and non-dominant limbs. Results: Hip abductor strength in both the dominant limb (r = 0.355, p < 0.05) and in the non-dominant limb (r = 0.406, p < 0.05) showed a significant positive correlation with LEFS scores. No significant difference was found in hip abductor strength between the dominant and non-dominant limbs in elderly females (p > 0.05). Conclusion: These findings suggest that hip abductor strength should be considered an important factor influencing lower extremity functional ability, as assessed by the LEFS, in elderly females.

INTRODUCTION
MATERIALS AND METHODS
    1. Participants
    2. Instruments and Measurement
    3. Data Analysis
    4. Statistical Analysis
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
CONCLUSIONS
FUNDING
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS
ORCID
REFERENCES

• Sung-min Ha(Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health Science, Sangji University)
• Oh-yun Kwon(Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Yonsei University, Wonju, Korea) Corresponding author
• Ha-yeong Baek(Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University)
• Seung-yoon Han(Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University)
• Il-kyu Ahn(Department of Physical Therapy, The Graduate School, Yonsei University, Department of Physical Therapy, College of Software and Digital Healthcare Convergence, Laboratory of Kinetic Ergocise Based on Movement Analysis, Yonsei University)