Multifactorial Screening Tool for Determining Fall Risk in Community-Dwelling Adults Aged 50 Years or Over (FallSensing): Protocol for a Prospective Study

Abstract

BackgroundFalls are a major health problem among older adults. The risk of falling can be increased by polypharmacy, vision impairment, high blood pressure, environmental home hazards, fear of falling, and changes in the function of musculoskeletal and sensory systems that are associated with aging. Moreover, individuals who experienced previous falls are at higher risk. Nevertheless, falls can be prevented by screening for known risk factors.ObjectiveThe objective of our study was to develop a multifactorial, instrumented, screening tool for fall risk, according to the key risk factors for falls, among Portuguese community-dwelling adults aged 50 years or over and to prospectively validate a risk prediction model for the risk of falling.MethodsThis prospective study, following a convenience sample method, will recruit community-dwelling adults aged 50 years or over, who stand and walk independently with or without walking aids in parish councils, physical therapy clinics, senior’s universities, and other facilities in different regions of continental Portugal. The FallSensing screening tool is a technological solution for fall risk screening that includes software, a pressure platform, and 2 inertial sensors. The screening includes questions about demographic and anthropometric data, health and lifestyle behaviors, a detailed explanation about procedures to accomplish 6 functional tests (grip strength, Timed Up and Go, 30 seconds sit to stand, step test, 4-Stage Balance test “modified,” and 10-meter walking speed), 3 questionnaires concerning environmental home hazards, and an activity and participation profile related to mobility and self-efficacy for exercise.ResultsThe enrollment began in June 2016 and we anticipate study completion by the end of 2018.ConclusionsThe FallSensing screening tool is a multifactorial and evidence-based assessment which identifies factors that contribute to fall risk. Establishing a risk prediction model will allow preventive strategies to be implemented, potentially decreasing fall rate.Registered Report IdentifierRR1-10.2196/10304

Effects of A “Modified” Otago Exercise Program on the Functional Abilities and Social Participation of Older Adults Living in the Community—The AGA@4life Model

“…It consists of sitting on, and then standing up from, a chair, with arms crossed over the chest, as many times as possible in a period of 30 s. If the participant completes a rise of more than halfway up at the end of 30 s, this is counted as a full stand. The number of stands an individual can complete in 30 s are counted [31,32].…”

“…Each position was held both with eyes open and closed, with the exception of the last position (one legged stance), which was performed only with the eyes open. The sequence was side by side stance (eyes open); side by side stance (eyes closed); semi-tandem (eyes open), semi-tandem (eyes closed); tandem (eyes open); tandem (eyes closed), and one leg stance (eyes open).Scores were recorded corresponding to the number of positions performed successfully[31].…”

Effects of a Personalized Physical Exercise Program in the Ventricular-arterial Coupling of Older Adults. A Pilot Study

“…The grip strength was measured with an appropriate dynamometer. The Portuguese version of the self-efficacy questionnaire for physical exercise was used to assess the degree of individual confidence to perform activities [17]. The dietary profile was assessed by the Portuguese version of the 'mini nutritional assessment' [18].…”

“…The participants were divided into two groups according to their adherence to the physical exercise plan: Group 1 with low (below 50% of the sessions) or no adherence; Group 2 with good adherence (above 95% of the sessions). This physical exercise program was developed in a personalized way, consisting of outdoor aerobic exercise sessions and laboratory sessions with a dedicated technological platform [17] with the objective of increasing aerobic capacity and global strength, coordination and functionality. The aerobic exercise sessions followed the recommendations of the WHO [23] consisting of two sessions per week with the following structure: a 10-min walk on flat or slightly sloping ground, joint mobilization exercises with respiratory coordination and balance and coordination exercises (total duration per session: 1 h).…”

Promoting Fall Prevention among Community Dwelling Older Adults through ActivLife: a Physical and Social Activation

“…While older people in the maintenance stage, they are focusing on maintaining changes that have been made. Martins et al (2018) proposed to use a multifactorial, instrumented, screening tool for assessing fall risks based on several functional tests. Given the time and resources, we chose to conduct Hand Grip Test (HGT) (Desrosiers et al 1995;Pijnappels et al 2008), the 30 Seconds Sit to Stand (30STS) test (Shirly Ryan Ability Lab 2013), 4-stage of balance test (Martins et al 2018) and the Tinetti Balance Assessment (TBA) (Tinetti et al 1988) in our experiment which are important for fall assessment and identification.…”