Physical Fitness among Community-Dwelling Older Women with and without Risk of Falling—The Taipei Study, Taiwan

Chen-Yi Song, Jau-Yih Tsauo, Pei-Hsin Fang, I-Yao Fang and Shao-Hsi Chang
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Chen-Yi Song: Department of Long-Term Care, National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences, Taipei 112, Taiwan
Jau-Yih Tsauo: School and Graduate Institute of Physical Therapy, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei 100, Taiwan
Pei-Hsin Fang: Physical Education Center, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, Taiwan
I-Yao Fang: Physical Education Center, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Tainan 710, Taiwan
Shao-Hsi Chang: Department of Physical Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 106, Taiwan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-8

Abstract: The purposes of this study were to compare the differences in physical fitness between community-dwelling older women fallers and non-fallers, with and without a risk of falling, and to investigate the relation between physical fitness and falling risk factors. This study was a secondary data analysis from a community- and exercise-based fall-prevention program. Baseline assessments pertaining to body weight and height, self-reported chronic diseases, the 12-item fall risk questionnaire (FRQ), senior fitness test, single-leg stand test, and handgrip strength test were extracted. Participants ( n = 264) were classified into fallers and non-fallers, and sub-classified according to the risk of falling (FRQ ?4 and <4). While controlling for the effect of age, body mass index (BMI), and multimorbidity, one-way analysis of covariance indicated that older women with a risk of falling showed poorer performances of the 8-foot up-and-go, 2-min step and 30-s chair stand compared with those without a risk of falling, regardless of the history of falls. Additionally, weaker grip strength was found in non-fallers with falling risk. Some significant, but low-to-moderate, correlations were found between physical fitness tests and fall risk factors in the FRQ, particularly in gait/balance problem and leg muscle weakness. Proactive efforts are encouraged to screen and manage deterioration in the identified physical fitness.

Keywords: falls; fall risk; senior fitness test; elderly; aged (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
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