This study aimed to determine the underlying mechanisms of age-related differences in postural control of 7-18 years old girls by determining the differences between different age groups and adults in their sensory preferences for compensatory responses. 118 non-athlete girls aged 7 to 18 were selected by available sampling and divided into four age groups: 7-9 (n=31), 10-12 (n=32), 13-15 (n=28), and 16-18 (n=27). A reference group of adults (n=28, Mean= 27.9 years) was examined for comparison. Sensory organization test (SOT) with computerized dynamic posturography was used to manipulate sensory inputs. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey post hoc test showed a significant difference between all age groups in 6 test conditions (P<0.05). The use of somatosensory and vestibular sensory inputs to maintain balance was almost the same in different age groups, but significant differences were observed in the use of visual inputs. From the age of 13, the postural control performance of girls becomes similar to that of adults, which can be due to the delayed development of the visual system. In general, it seems that for perfect postural control, first the somatosensory sensory system and then the vestibular and visual systems mature.
