Abstract
BackgroundFalls among older adults are a serious public health problem. Many studies indicate that positive functional fitness performance decreases the risk of falls. A limited amount of previous study has investigated the association between broad functional fitness and the fall risk. This study examines the associations between functional fitness and the risk of falling among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsThree waves of cross-sectional data were collected from 2017 to 2019 in Taipei City, Taiwan. Six hundred sixty-five participants aged ≥65 years were randomly recruited from 12 districts of Taipei. Eight functional fitness tests (i.e., back scratch, chair-sit and-reach, 8-ft up-and-go, 30-s sit-to-stand, 30-s arm curl, 30-s single-leg stance, 2-min step, and hand grip strength tests) were performed to record the physical performance of older subjects. A Chinese version of the fall-risk questionnaire (FRQ) was used to calculate the fall risk scores. Linear regression and logistic regression were utilized to estimate the relationships of each functional fitness and fall risk.ResultThe results showed that 37.45% of older adults had a high risk of falling. It was found for each functional fitness that performance was linearly associated with the risk of falling. Moreover, older adults with low-performance levels in all functional fitness except back-scratching were more likely to have a higher risk of falling.ConclusionsOur study indicated that functional fitness performance appears to provide valid predictive guidance for reducing the risk of falling among the older population.
Highlights
According to epidemiological studies, a fall is a public concern which results older person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor [1]
Our study indicated that functional fitness performance appears to provide valid predictive guidance for reducing the risk of falling among the older population
For the arm curl the mean was 17.29 (±4.4) repetitions, for the single-leg stance it was 18.27 s (±11.04 s), for the 8-ft up-and-go it was 6.41 s (±1.91 s), for the back-scratch it was − 2.46 (±12.09) cm, for the chair sit-and-reach it was 4.60 (±11.56) cm, for the 2-min step it was 95.07 (±21.03), and for the hand-grip strength it was 24.35 (±6.86) kg. According to their fall-risk questionnaire (FRQ) score, participants were stratified into those with low fall-risk (< 4) and high fall-risk (≥4). 249 (37.45%) participants were categorized into the high fall-risk group
Summary
A fall is a public concern which results older person coming to rest inadvertently on the ground or floor [1]. There is growing interest in the adaptation of physical functions, such as improved mobility, balance and muscle strength, all of which are important in preventing falls among older adults [6, 7]. Ho et al Archives of Public Health (2021) 79:108 quality for adults in later life [9]. The associations between functional fitness and the fall risk have been well documented [7], specific limitations with comprehensive functional fitness and fall risk need to be confirmed. Falls among older adults are a serious public health problem. A limited amount of previous study has investigated the association between broad functional fitness and the fall risk. This study examines the associations between functional fitness and the risk of falling among community-dwelling older adults
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