Efficacy of Multi-factorial intervention to prevent falls among older adults

Completed

Conditions: Fall prevention among older adults

Registration Number: CTRI/2020/01/023013

Lead Sponsor: Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences Savitribai Phule Pune University

Brief Summary: Most of the falls in older adults are associated with one or more identifiable risk factors such as weakness, poor vision, unsteady gait and balance, confusion, certain medications and environmental risk factors such as slippery floor, uneven roads, poor lighting etc.Falls among older adults often leads to decreased independence, inability to perform daily activities, psychological stress, hospitalization and disability. Review of the literature shows that many strategies to reduce the risk of falls have already been implemented among the elderly. The majority of these intervention strategies used a variety of approaches including medication management, vision correction, home modification and exercise including strength training and, balance training. Though these strategies have shown to be effective at reducing falls, they have not been conducted among the community dwelling older adults in India. Thus, there is paucity of community-based intervention programme for fall prevention in India. Evidence suggests that interventions targeting fall risk factors are effective. As falls in older adults are not recognized in India, it remains unknown whether, or to what extent, this body of evidence has been effective in Indian community dwelling older adults.

Therefore, the current quasi-experimental study aims to study the efficacy of a multifactorial intervention in the prevention of fall. The intervention will be divided into 4 quadrants: 1) Monitored exercise module 2) Home-based exercise module 3) Awareness-Education material 4) Counselling about home modification. The intervention will consist of monitored home based exercise program and online/tablet based exercise programme which will help in improving the balance and gait parameters. Balance and gait will be measured at the beginning of the study, and then measured again at the end of the intervention at 16 weeks and 20 weeks post intervention. The third and the fourth component will be addressed through providing educational material and counselling about home modification such as using grab bars, lights in the corridors, anti-slippery flooring etc. Knowledge regarding falls and home modification will be assessed before and after the intervention. This research would be helpful in creating sufficient evidence for recognizing fall in older adults as a public health issue and need to address it in the public health system.

Detailed Description: Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 93

Inclusion Criteria

Community dwelling older adults above 60 years of age.
Older adults who are categorized as at risk of falling as per balance and gait measurement.
Older adults who give consent to participate.

Exclusion Criteria

Older adults with presence of cognitive decline.
Older adults with known health conditions such as arthritis, osteoporosis, knee or hip prostheses, cardiovascular diseases, stroke.
Older adults with known upper or lower limb disability.
Older adults with any other known chronic illnesses which restrict participation.

Study & Design

Study Type: Interventional

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Improvement in balance measured at 8 weeks and 16 weeks.	Balance and gait parameters will be assessed at 8 weeks (immediately after intervention) and 16 weeks post intervention
Improved knowledge about home modification to prevent falls measured in pre-post manner	Balance and gait parameters will be assessed at 8 weeks (immediately after intervention) and 16 weeks post intervention
Improvement in spatio-temporal gait parameters measured at 8 weeks and 16 weeks.	Balance and gait parameters will be assessed at 8 weeks (immediately after intervention) and 16 weeks post intervention

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Not applicable	NA

Trial Locations

Locations (1): Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences
🇮🇳
Pune, MAHARASHTRA, India
Interdisciplinary School of Health Sciences
🇮🇳Pune, MAHARASHTRA, India
DrAarti Nagarkar
Principal investigator
9822437743
aarati@unipune.ac.in