Abstract
Effective interventions for indicated fall prevention are necessary for older adults with frailty. We aimed to determine the effectiveness of a Multi-system Physical Exercise (MPE) for fall prevention and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) in pre-frail older adults. This randomized control trial with allocation concealment included 72 adults aged 65 and above, identified as pre-frailty and with mild and moderate fall risk scores measured by the Physiological Profile Assessment (PPA). Randomly, using block randomization, participants were divided into two groups: an MPE group (n = 36) and a control group (n = 36). The intervention consisted mainly of proprioception, muscle strengthening, reaction time, and balance training and was carried out three days per week for 12 weeks. The primary outcome was fall risk assessed using PPA at 12 weeks post-baseline and at a 24 week follow-up. Significant differences were found in the improvement in fall risk, proprioception, muscle strength, reaction time and postural sway, and fear of fall scores in the MPE group compared with controls at week 12 and 24. In addition, HRQOL had increased significantly in the MPE group in comparison to controls. The MPE program significantly increased muscle strength and improved proprioception, reaction time, and postural sway leading to fall risk reduction in older adults with pre-frailty. Therefore, the MPE program is recommended for used in day-to-day primary care practice in the pre-frail population.
Highlights
The aging population constitutes a large and increasing percentage of the world population [1].When people grow older, they experience a deterioration in their physiological system and functional status decline until they become frail [2,3]
Our results showed that the 12 week Multi-system Physical Exercise (MPE) program had a significant effect in improving proprioception, reaction time, knee extension, and balance in the pre-frail adults in the study, which reflected improved overall physical performance and reduced fall risk
Our results are consistent with previous studies, which indicated that exercise intervention had beneficial effects on improving physical performance and reducing fall risk in the frail and pre-frail elderly living in community [38,39,40]
Summary
They experience a deterioration in their physiological system and functional status decline until they become frail [2,3]. Frailty is defined as an age-related decline of multiple physiological processes and functions, having a negative impact on multiple adverse health outcomes such as disability, injury, multiple-disease, hospitalization, illness, falls, and mortality [4]. 62.8% of older people were found to have one to two falls resulting in an increased risk of falls and consequent injuries [5,6,7]. Death in 84.6% of older adults is more likely to occur from fall-related injuries than from other causes, and 38.19% of hospital admissions are a consequence of fall injuries [12]. Fall prevention is important for frail older adults because it affects their well-being and the healthcare system
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