Physical function and fear of falling 2 years after the health-promoting randomized controlled trial: Elderly persons in the risk zone Show others and affiliations
2014 (English) In: The Gerontologist, ISSN 0016-9013, E-ISSN 1758-5341, Vol. 54, no 3, p. 387-397Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Sustainable development Sustainable Development
Abstract [en]
Purpose of the study: To investigate the effects of 2 different health-promoting interventions on physical performance, fear of falling, and physical activity at 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups of the study Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone. Design and Methods: A randomized, three-armed, single-blind, and controlled study in which 459 independent and community-dwelling people aged 80 years or older were included. A single preventive home visit including health-promoting information and advice and 4 weekly senior group meetings focused on health strategies and peer learning, with a follow-up home visit, were compared with control. Functional balance, walking speed, fear of falling, falls efficacy, and frequency of physical activities were measured 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after baseline. Results: There were no or limited differences between the groups at the 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. At 2 years, the odds ratio for having a total score of 48 or more on the Berg Balance scale compared with control was 1.80 (confidence interval 1.11-2.90) for a preventive home visit and 1.96 (confidence interval 1.21-3.17) for the senior meetings. A significantly larger proportion of intervention participants than controls maintained walking speed and reported higher falls efficacy. At 1 and 2 years, a significantly higher proportion of intervention participants performed regular physical activities than control. Implications: Both a preventive home visit and senior meetings reduced the deterioration in functional balance, walking speed, and falls efficacy after 2 years. The long-term effects of both interventions indicate a positive impact on postponement of physical frailty among independent older people.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Oxford University Press, 2014. Vol. 54, no 3, p. 387-397
Keywords [en]
Falls, Frailty, Health promotion, Intention to treat analysis, Oldest old, Self-efficacy, controlled study, falling, fear, human, independent living, motor activity, physiology, prevention and control, professional practice, randomized controlled trial, single blind procedure, time, very elderly, Accidental Falls, Aged, 80 and over, House Calls, Humans, Single-Blind Method, Time Factors
National Category
Physiotherapy
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-54453 DOI: 10.1093/geront/gnt078 ISI: 000336480800008 PubMedID: 23906550 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-84900801323 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:hj-54453 DiVA, id: diva2:1590193
2021-09-022021-09-022025-02-11 Bibliographically approved