Insight into falls prevention programmes for people with visual impairments and intellectual disabilities: A scoping review

Abstract

The aim of this study was to review the current literature on falls prevention in people with visual impairment and to estimate the applicability of methods of fall prevention for people with visual impairment and intellectual disability. A scoping review was performed according to the Arksey and O'Malley framework. Relevant studies were collected from PubMed, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). All records covering the time span from January 1980 until November 2017 were collected. Studies were included if the participants had a visual impairment according to objective ophthalmic assessments, the article described interventions to reduce falls or risk factors for falls, and the study was written in English and published in a peer-reviewed journal. The methodological quality of the studies were determined by consensus of the authors on the PEDro scale. Fifteen articles were included in this scoping

Gender differences in postural balance, physical activity level, BMI, and body composition in athletes with visual impairment

“…Vision is significant in terms of motor learning and development and unfortunately vision loss disturbs these skills, as well as static and dynamic activities (Hallemans et al, 2010). Individuals with VI interact with their environment through clues gathered by vestibular and proprioceptive systems, but ageing is a major problem which disturbs balance parameter and as a result, falls increases, independent living decreases, and movement skills are restricted among this population (Chen et al, 2012b; Enkelaar et al, 2019; Ray et al, 2008). In addition, it can negatively affect bipedal upright stability during quiet standing and locomotion and gait cycle modulation, navigation, and obstacle avoidance (Logan et al, 2010).…”