Citation

Sherrington C, Tiedemann A, Fairhall N, Close JCT, Lord SR. N. S. W. Public Health Bull. 2011; 22(3-4): 78-83.

Affiliation

Musculoskeletal Division, The George Institute for Global Health, The University of Sydney.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2011, New South Wales Health Department)

DOI

10.1071/NB10056

PMID

21632004

Abstract

This systematic review update includes 54 randomized controlled trials and confirms that exercise as a single intervention can prevent falls (pooled rate ratio 0.84, 95% CI 0.77-0.91). Meta-regression revealed programs that included balance training, contained a higher dose of exercise and did not include walking training to have the greatest effect on reducing falls. We therefore recommend that exercise for falls prevention should provide a moderate or high challenge to balance and be undertaken for at least 2 hours per week on an ongoing basis. Additionally, we recommend that: falls prevention exercise should target both the general community and those at high risk for falls; exercise may be undertaken in a group or home-based setting; strength and walking training may be included in addition to balance training but high risk individuals should not be prescribed brisk walking programs; and other health-related risk factors should also be addressed.

Language: en