The Effect Of 12 Weeks Exercise Program Of The Prevention Of Fall Down In Elderly

Abstract

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to analysis the effect of 12 weeks exercise program of the prevention of fall down in elderly. METHODS These subjects included in this study were 80 community-dwelling women over 60 years old. The screening interviews were conducted among 889 senior women in relation to their history of falling. 80 fallers were selected from participants in the cross-sectional survey defined by the experiences of fall-down more than three times in one year. For exercise testing, 80 participants were randomly assigned to a control group(N = 40, 67.25 ± 6.4yr) that was provided fall prevention education including home exercise program or performed an exercise training program for 12 weeks(N = 40, 86.34 ± 7.3yr). The control intervention was one session of three hours of fall prevention education at the start and monthly follow-up by physician. Exercise for the study group was composed of stretching, muscle strengthening, and balance training for 12 weeks. Analysis of the risk factors related to fall-down surveyed by structured questionnaire, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Sacle(ABC). Physical fitness test included balance, agility, flexibility, muscular endurance, leg muscular strength and trunk muscular strength. Functional test performed six minute walking test. RESULTS Student t-test was used to identify the differences of the changes between groups in the balance, agility, flexibility, leg strength, trunk muscular strength, general motor function, and fear of falling. Participants in the exercise group showed a greater improvement than those control group in trunk strength(53.2 ± 21.4kg vs. 40.6 ± 21.1kg), leg strength(76.6 ± 25.1Nm vs. 65.0 ± 29.6Nm), balance(11.9 ± 10.5sec vs. 5.64 ± 5.6sec), flexibility(14.5 ± 7.8cm vs. 11.2 ± 7.7cm), 6 min walking(456.0 ± 65.3m vs. 353.3 ± 119.4m)(p<.05). Exercise group showed no significant change in agility, muscular endurance compared with control group. The mean of ABC changed from 61.6 ± 27.0% to 83.5 ± 16.1% in exercise group(p<.05) although the control group did not show any significant change in the mean of ABC. CONCLUSIONS This study was suggested that exercise session program improved ability of balance, flexibility, trunk and leg strength, and general motor function. Monthly exercise education was not improved physical fitness and fear of falling in elderly. And exercise session program may contributed to prevent of fall down in elderly.