Abstract
The purposes of this study were to compare the differences in physical fitness between community-dwelling older women fallers and non-fallers, with and without a risk of falling, and to investigate the relation between physical fitness and falling risk factors. This study was a secondary data analysis from a community- and exercise-based fall-prevention program. Baseline assessments pertaining to body weight and height, self-reported chronic diseases, the 12-item fall risk questionnaire (FRQ), senior fitness test, single-leg stand test, and handgrip strength test were extracted. Participants (n = 264) were classified into fallers and non-fallers, and sub-classified according to the risk of falling (FRQ ≥4 and <4). While controlling for the effect of age, body mass index (BMI), and multimorbidity, one-way analysis of covariance indicated that older women with a risk of falling showed poorer performances of the 8-foot up-and-go, 2-min step and 30-s chair stand compared with those without a risk of falling, regardless of the history of falls. Additionally, weaker grip strength was found in non-fallers with falling risk. Some significant, but low-to-moderate, correlations were found between physical fitness tests and fall risk factors in the FRQ, particularly in gait/balance problem and leg muscle weakness. Proactive efforts are encouraged to screen and manage deterioration in the identified physical fitness.
Highlights
Published: 6 July 2021The risk of falls is increased in older people, because of the age-related decline in physical function
A multicenter study found a group difference in physical function tests when comparing fallers and non-fallers in the USA and Sweden, but not in Hong Kong [6], implying that the differences in physical function differed across countries
Baseline assessments pertaining to body weight and height, self-reported chronic diseases, fall risk and physical fitness were extracted
Summary
The risk of falls is increased in older people, because of the age-related decline in physical function. Studies have indicated that poor physical function is related to a high risk of falls [1,2]. The literature has documented differences in muscle strength, endurance, agility, balance, and lower-extremity functional performance, between fallers and nonfallers, with fallers performing more poorly than non-fallers [3,4,5,6,7,8,9]. Functional fitness is an essential indicator of independence and quality of life in older adults in the late years, and it is one of the most commonly reported indicators in fall-related research [10,11,12,13]. The handgrip strength test, as well as the single-leg stand test for static balance are frequently used in
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