Canan Outdoor Multisurface Terrain Enhance the Effects of Fall Prevention Exercise in Older Adults? A Randomized Controlled Trial

Tong-Yue Zhou, Xiao-Mei Yuan and Xiao-Jun Ma
Additional contact information
Tong-Yue Zhou: School of Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 501640, China
Xiao-Mei Yuan: School of Architecture, State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 501640, China
Xiao-Jun Ma: School of Physical Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 501640, China

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-12

Abstract: Walking on complex surface conditions in outdoor environments is important for active aging. This study aimed at examining whether fall prevention exercise integrated with an outdoor multisurface terrain compared with indoor solid ground was more beneficial for older adults. Twenty-two older nursing home residents were randomly assigned to outdoor multisurface terrain ( n = 11, 79.5 ± 2.1 years) or indoor solid ground ( n = 11, 78.8 ± 5.2 years) groups. Training occurred five times per week (30 min) for 3 weeks. The following performance test outcomes were measured: 10 m walk test (10 mWT), multisurface terrain walk test (MTWT), 2 min walk test (2 MWT), timed up and go test (TUGT), single-leg standing test with eyes open (SLSTEO), single-leg standing test with eyes closed (SLSTEC), and closed cycles test (CCT). Compared with baseline, the outdoor multisurface terrain training significantly improved performance in all tests ( p < 0.01). The improvements of the outdoor multisurface terrain group after intervention were significantly higher than those of the indoor solid group in the 10 mWT ( p = 0.049), MTWT ( p = 0.02), and 2 MWT ( p = 0.000). Exercise combined with outdoor multisurface terrain training may be an efficacious approach and a feasible environmental intervention for fall prevention in older adults.

Keywords: irregular terrain; fall prevention; aging; environment intervention; walking ability; balance ability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7023/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/17/19/7023/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:19:p:7023-:d:419764

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().