Korean J Rehabil Nurs.  2017 Jun;20(1):22-32. 10.7587/kjrehn.2017.22.

Effects of a Fall Prevention Program on Physical Fitness, Fall Efficacy and Fall Prevention Behavior among Community-dwelling Older Adults

• Jo HE
• Kim MJ

• KMID: 2388038
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.7587/kjrehn.2017.22

Abstract

PURPOSE
This research was conducted to determine the effects of fall prevention exercise and education on physical fitness, fall efficacy, and fall prevention behavior among community-dwelling older adults.
METHODS
This study applied nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. Data were collected from January 8th to March 4th, 2015. There were 24 subjects in the experimental group and 21 in the control group from two different senior citizen center in B city. The fall prevention program consisted of exercise, education, and telephone coaching was developed using self-efficacy theory: "˜Performance accomplishment', "˜Vicarious experience', "˜Verbal persuasion', "˜Emotional arousal'. Then, it was conducted once a week for 8 weeks. Data were analyzed with χ² test and t-test using the SPSS program.
RESULTS
The findings indicated that fall prevention program conducted on older adults is good for improving their muscular strength in lower extremities (t=6.25, p<.001), physical balance (t=2.66, p=.014), physical flexibility (t=2.88, p<.001) and fall prevention behavior (t=6.19, p<.001).
CONCLUSION
The fall prevention program can be used for community-dwelling older adults as a nursing intervention that enables older adults to enhance their self-care continuously. It is necessary to conduct a follow-up study to see if a self-help meeting could improve self-efficacy.

Keyword

Fall prevention program; Aged; Physical fitness; Fall efficacy; Fall prevention behavior

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Education
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Lower Extremity
Nursing
Physical Fitness*
Pliability
Self Care
Telephone