Citation

Bonnerup Vind A, Elkjaer Andersen H, Damgaard Pedersen K, Joergensen T, Schwarz P. Aging Clin. Exp. Res. 2010; 22(3): 249-254.

Affiliation

Research Centre for Aging and Osteoporosis, Glostrup University Hospital, Denmark. anbovi01@glo.regionh.dk.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.3275/6628

PMID

19934621

Abstract

Background and aims: Falls among older people are associated with injury, functional decline, fear of falling, and depression. This study aims to evaluate the effect of multifactorial fall prevention on function, fear of falling, health related quality of life and psychological well-being. Methods: 392 older people >/= 65 years sustaining a fall leading to treatment in emergency room or hospitalization were included in a randomized, controlled intervention study on multifactorial fall prevention. The intervention consisted of systematic assessment and individualized treatment aimed at reducing risk factors for falls, and was performed at the geriatric outpatient department of a university hospital. The control group received usual care. Outcome measures were functional ability; Barthel Index and Frenchay Activity Index, fear of falling; Activities Balance Confidence Scale, Health related quality of life; SF-36, and psychological well-being; SCL-92 and were recorded at interviews 6 and 12 months after inclusion. Results: Only physical function of SF-36 was slightly positively affected by the intervention (p=0.04), while there was no effect on general health (p=0.49) or mental health (p=0.39) items, Barthel Index (p=0.10), Frenchay Activity Index (p=0.71), balance confidence (p=0.77), anxiety (p=0.92), depression (p=0.90) or somatization (p=0.13). Conclusions: This program of multifactorial fall prevention could have an effect on the physical function item of health related quality of life in favour of the intervention group, but no effect on other measures of health related quality of life, daily function, fear of falling or psychological well-being.

Language: en