BackgroundFalling in older age is a major public health concern due to its costly and disabling consequences. However very few randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have been conducted in developing countries, in which population ageing is expected to be particularly substantial in coming years. This article describes the design of an RCT to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactorial falls prevention program in reducing the rate of falls in community-dwelling older people.Methods/designMulticentre parallel-group RCT involving 612 community-dwelling men and women aged 60 years and over, who have fallen at least once in the previous year. Participants will be recruited in multiple settings in Sao Paulo, Brazil and will be randomly allocated to a control group or an intervention group. The usual care control group will undergo a fall risk factor assessment and be referred to their clinicians with the risk assessment report so that individual modifiable risk factors can be managed without any specific guidance. The intervention group will receive a 12-week Multifactorial Falls Prevention Program consisting of: an individualised medical management of modifiable risk factors, a group-based, supervised balance training exercise program plus an unsupervised home-based exercise program, an educational/behavioral intervention. Both groups will receive a leaflet containing general information about fall prevention strategies. Primary outcome measures will be the rate of falls and the proportion of fallers recorded by monthly falls diaries and telephone calls over a 12 month period. Secondary outcomes measures will include risk of falling, fall-related self-efficacy score, measures of balance, mobility and strength, fall-related health services use and independence with daily tasks. Data will be analysed using the intention-to-treat principle.The incidence of falls in the intervention and control groups will be calculated and compared using negative binomial regression analysis.DiscussionThis study is the first trial to be conducted in Brazil to evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention to prevent falls. If proven to reduce falls this study has the potential to benefit older adults and assist health care practitioners and policy makers to implement and promote effective falls prevention interventions.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01698580)

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Resumo Este artigo tem como objetivo identificar percepções de estudantes de educação física sobre vulnerabilidades, intolerância e relações de poder no esporte a partir do filme Um homem entre gigantes . Trata-se de estudo descritivo-exploratório, com abordagem qualitativa. Dez estudantes de graduação e pós-graduação da Universidade do Estado de Santa Catarina responderam ao questionário on-line sobre o filme. Os dados coletados foram examinados por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo. A obra escolhida, com temática relacionada ao esporte, mostrou-se eficiente para o ensino de temas da bioética, como tipos de vulnerabilidade, relações de poder e conflitos éticos que podem surgir na atuação dos profissionais da área de educação física. O método de ensino-aprendizagem motivou os alunos a refletir sobre temas polêmicos e situações apresentadas no filme.

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BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: This study investigated the relations between the playful component and the process of rehabilitation, treatment, and promotion of health in the context of a group that treats the pain, located in Florianópolis (Brazil). METHODS: The research followed a qualitative approach, a descriptive-exploratory field research. A matrix-guided systematic observation was conducted for two months by the group leader, two volunteers and about 15 participants. A field diary was used to register complementary information. Besides two semi-structured interview guides were used, applied to four members and the person responsible for the group after the two-month observational period. The data were organized and analyzed in three topics: "Characterization of the investigated group and dynamics of the meetings," "The group as healing potential" and "Lian Gong/Qi Gong as a possibility to look at the pain." RESULTS: The participants pointed out that working on Lian Gong/ Qi Gong, meditation and auriculotherapy contemplating the playful component the group becomes a place of recognition of each one's pain subjectivity, by the individual that suffers and by the collective, which has fostered the recovery of specific pain and good sensations to those involved, such as happiness, enthusiasm and pleasure. CONCLUSION: The creation of the group and people's engagement has decreased the number of specific requests for physiotherapy sessions and provided greater autonomy to the participants to handle their own pain.