@article{ref1,
title="Health-related quality of life in home care recipients after a falls prevention intervention: a 6-month follow-up",
journal="European journal of public health",
year="2019",
author="Bjerk, Maria and Brovold, Therese and Davis, Jennifer C. and Skelton, Dawn A. and Bergland, Astrid",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="BACKGROUND: Falls in older adults are an increasingly important public health concern due to the expanding older population and contribute considerably to the global burden of disease. Home care recipients have a high incidence of falls and a low level of health-related quality of life (HRQOL). In this understudied group of older adults, exercise interventions could prevent falls, promote HRQOL and enable healthy ageing in the longer term. <br><br>METHODS: The study is a single-blinded parallel-group randomized controlled trial, lasting 3 months with a follow-up at 6 months, conducted in primary care. The objective was to explore the effects of a falls prevention exercise programme post-intervention at a 6-month follow-up in home care recipients 67+ years with a history of falls. The Otago Exercise Programme lasting 3 months was performed. The primary outcome was HRQOL measured by the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36). Linear mixed regression models and structural equation models were employed. <br><br>RESULTS: At 6-month follow-up, the intervention group scored significantly higher on SF-36's physical component summary compared with the controls; 3.0 points, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.4, 5.6. This effect was mediated by an increased probability of maintaining exercise in the post-intervention period; odds ratio = 2.3 (CI = 1.1, 5.1). Exercising was associated with a 7.1-point increase in physical component summary (CI = 3.2, 10.9). <br><br>CONCLUSION: A falls prevention exercise programme can improve physical HRQOL in home care recipients post-intervention. The exercise programme also led to longer-term changes in exercise behaviour mediating this effect.<br><br>© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1101-1262",
doi="10.1093/eurpub/ckz106",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz106"
}