Abstract
BackgroundAccidental falls are common among community-dwellers, probably due to the level of physical activity and impaired postural stability. Today, fall risk prediction tools’ discriminative validity are only moderate. In order to increase the accuracy, multiple variables such as highly validated objective field measurements of physical activity and impaired postural stability should be adressed in order to predict falls. The main aim of this paper is to describe the ≥65 years NOrthern jutland Cohort of Fall risk Assessment with Objective measurements (NOCfao) investigating the association between physical activity and impaired postural stability and the risk of fall episodes among community-dwelling older adults.MethodsThe study consists of a baseline session where the participants are asked to respond to three questionnaires, perform physical tests (i.e., measuring strength in the upper and lower extremities, balance, and walking speed), participate in an assessment of pain sensitivity, and to wear an ankle mounted pedometer for measuring physical activity for 5 days. Subsequently, the fall incidences and the circumstances surrounding the falls during the previous 1 to 2 months will be recorded throughout a one-year follow-up period.DiscussionThis study will add to the present-day understanding of the association between physical activity and impaired postural stability and the risk of fall episodes among community-dwelling older adults. These data will provide valid and reliable information on the relationship between these variables and their significance for community-dwelling older adults.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT2995317. Registered December 13th, 2016.
Highlights
Accidental falls are common among community-dwellers, probably due to the level of physical activity and impaired postural stability
The main aim of this paper is to describe the methods and foundation of the NOCfao study
If the main study hypotheses of this prospective, observational cohort study are accepted, this will highlight the importance of physical activity and impaired postural stability in relation to falls among community-dwelling older adults
Summary
Accidental falls are common among community-dwellers, probably due to the level of physical activity and impaired postural stability. Accidental falls are often classified into intrinsic (e.g. non-accidental causes such as history of falls, age, gender, solitary lifestyle, fear of falling, nutritional deficiencies, cognitive disorders, attenuated vision, balance and gait impairment, and foot problems), extrinsic (e.g. polypharmacy) and environmental (e.g. lighting, footwear, and bumpy and slippery surface areas) risk factors [18, 19, 22, 23]. Intrinsic risk factors such as poor balance or gait impairment are common causes to ‘slip and trip’ which may result in accidental falls among older adults [9, 22, 24, 25]
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