Primary prevention of falls: Effectiveness of a statewide program

S.M. Albert, J. King, R. Boudreau, T. Prasad, C.J. Lin and A.B. Newman

American Journal of Public Health, 2014, vol. 104, issue 5, e77-e84

Abstract: Objectives. We examined a population-wide program, Pennsylvania's Healthy Steps for Older Adults (HSOA), designed to reduce the incidence of falls among older adults. Older adults completing HSOA are screened and educated regarding fall risk, and those identified as being at high risk are referred to primary care providers and home safety resources. Methods. From 2010 to 2011, older adults who completed HSOA at various senior center sites (n = 814) and a comparison group of older adults from the same sites who did not complete the program (n = 1019) were recruited and followed monthly. Although participants were not randomly allocated to study conditions, the 2 groups did not differ in fall risk at baseline or attrition. We used a telephone interactive voice response system to ascertain the number of falls that occurred each month. Results. In multivariate models, adjusted fall incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were lower in the HSOA group than in the comparison group for both total (IRR = 0.83; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.72, 0.96) and activity-adjusted (IRR = 0.81; 95% CI = 0.70, 0.93) months of follow-up. Conclusions. Use of existing aging services in primary prevention of falls is feasible, resulting in a 17% reduction in our sample in the rate of falls over the follow-up period.

Keywords: aged; aging; article; body equilibrium; daily life activity; exercise; falling; female; human; incidence; male; organization and management; pain; patient education; primary prevention; self care; self concept; socioeconomics; United States; very elderly; walking difficulty, Accidental Falls; Activities of Daily Living; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Aging; Exercise; Female; Humans; Incidence; Male; Mobility Limitation; Pain; Patient Education as Topic; Pennsylvania; Postural Balance; Primary Prevention; Self Care; Self Efficacy; Socioeconomic Factors (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:aph:ajpbhl:10.2105/ajph.2013.301829_2

DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2013.301829

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