Citation

Kuhirunyaratn P, Prasomrak P, Jindawong B. Iran. J. Public Health 2019; 48(1): 103-111.

Affiliation

Department of Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Tehran University of Medical Sciences)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

30847317

PMCID

PMC6401575

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Elderly falls increase dramatically with age and are a leading cause of injury, carrying a risk of loss of independence and death. We studied the effects of a health education program on fall-risk prevention among urban elderly persons in the municipality of Khon Kaen, Thailand.

METHODS: A quasi-experimental study was conducted in 2 communities. The calculated sample size was 216 individuals: 108 for intervention and 108 for control, all of whom were 60 or older, and registered at the Samlium Primary Care Unit (SPCU). The educational intervention was a fall risk intervention program by an elderly buddy. A structured questionnaire that incorporated questions from the Thai Fall Risk Assessment Tool (Thai-FRAT) was used to collect general and specific information. Data were analyzed using the independent sample t-test and χ², with P<0.05 being statistically significant.

RESULTS: The response rate was 94.4%. More than half of the respondents were at risk of a fall. The prevalence of risk of a fall among the intervention group was slightly less than that for those within the control group [Intervention group=52.9% (95%CI: 42.85, 62.81, P<0.001); Control group=60.8% (95%CI: 50.59, 70.15, P=0.016)]. After 6 months of intervention, the balance impairment, medicine usage, and overall proportion with risk of fall were decreased. The difference between the intervention and control groups was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSION: The provision of a health education program designed for fall risk prevention among the elderly would be a useful public health initiative.

Language: en

Keywords

Elderly; Fall risk prevention; Health education