<![CDATA[Background: Population aging in Indonesia has been accompanied by a rising burden of falls among older adults, and rural villages carry much of this burden while having the least access to geriatric rehabilitation services. Impaired physical balance is a modifiable precursor of falling, yet nutritional status and habitual activity have rarely been examined together in rural Balinese communities. Purpose: To examine the relationship of body mass index and physical activity with physical balance among community-dwelling older adults in Gulingan Village, Mengwi Sub-district, Badung Regency, Bali, Indonesia. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted between February and March 2026 among 248 older adults aged 60 years and over, recruited by purposive sampling from the village register of integrated health posts for older people. Nutritional status was expressed as body mass index calculated from measured weight and height, and classified with Asia-Pacific cut-off points. Habitual activity was measured with the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, and physical balance with the Timed Up and Go test. Associations were tested with the Spearman rank correlation. Results: Mean age was 71.60 years (standard deviation 7.46) and 134 respondents (54.0%) were women. Obesity class 1 was the most frequent nutritional category (85 respondents; 34.3%); 166 respondents (66.9%) had a low level of habitual activity; and 126 respondents (50.8%) were classified as high risk of falling. A higher body mass index category was associated with poorer physical balance (r = 0.848; p < 0.001), and a lower level of physical activity was likewise associated with poorer physical balance (r = 0.725; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Nutritional status and habitual activity were both strongly associated with physical balance in this rural older population, and both are modifiable. Nurses working in village settings should combine routine measurement of weight, height, and activity level with performance-based balance screening and cadre-delivered balance training within existing integrated health posts for older people.]]>
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