Randomized Control Trials on Otago Exercise Program (OEP) to Reduce Falls Among Elderly Community Dwellers in Shahroud, Iran

Abstract

BackgroundFall is a worldwide health problem among elderly people and a known leading cause of disabilities. Fall prevention programs have been implemented in various forms. The Otago exercise program (OEP) is one of the most recent home-base exercise training program.ObjectivesThis study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of OEP to reduce falls among elderly people in Shahroud, IR Iran.Materials and MethodsThis randomised control trial was conducted among the elderly community dwellers in Shahroud city of the Semnan province, IR Iran, with experience of falls in the last 12 months. Subjects of the study (n = 317) were recruited from elderly senior citizens at public health centers. Block systematic random sampling was applied to categorize the subjects in experimental and control groups. The experimental group (n = 160) received OEP for six months and was compared with the control group (n = 157) who received general health training. This study was registered with the following ID, IRCT2014012016285N1.ResultsThe findings of the study showed that OEP improved physical performance (Berg-Balance-Score with P > 0.025, and Timed-Up-Go-Test with P > 0.017) and functional capacity (Arm-Curl-Test with P > 0.00 and Chair-Stand-Test with P > 0.01). In addition, OEP significantly reduced the incidence of falls (P ≤ 0.00) among senior citizens in the experimental group.DiscussionThe OEP as a home-based exercise is effective for the reduction of the incidence of falls among senior citizens with a history of falls. The OEP can be recommended for elderly homebound people who do not have access to facilities.

Exercise for falls prevention in community-dwelling older adults: trial and participant characteristics, interventions and bias in clinical trials from a systematic review

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Adverse events and safety issues associated with physical activity and exercise for adults with osteoporosis and osteopenia: A systematic review of observational studies and an updated review of interventional studies

“…When added to the 88 previous trials, the update contains information from 107 trials involving a total of 23,288 participants. 16 of the additional trials were randomised by individual, three were cluster randomised (one by General Practitioner 57 , one by retirement village 58 and one by health centre 59 ), and one used a cross-over design 60 . Greater than 50% of participants in the additional trials were female.…”

Does modified Otago Exercise Program improves balance in older people? A systematic review

“…Falls and fall-related injuries are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among elderly, representing a serious public health problem ( Dadgari et al, 2016 ; National Institute for Care Excellence, 2013 ; Otaka et al, 2017 ), and a significant threat to health, safety and independence ( Chou et al, 2012 ). About one-third of people aged 65 years or more experience at least one fall annually ( World Health Organization, 2007 ).…”

“…To increase adherence and compliance, participants receive monthly phone calls between home visits ( Campbell and Robertson, 2003 ; Sherrington et al, 2011 ; Stevens and Burns, 2015 ). The program is delivered for 12 months ( Dadgari et al, 2016 ; Robertson et al, 2002 ; Stevens and Burns, 2015 ), but recently Shubert et al (2017) described an innovative delivery model of 6 months.…”

“…Several studies, including systematic reviews with meta-analysis, recognize the OEP as an effective exercise prevention strategy with benefits in physical functioning and falls reduction ( Dadgari et al, 2016 ; El-Khoury et al, 2013 ; Liu-Ambrose et al, 2008 ; Robertson et al, 2002 ; Sherrington et al, 2017 ; Shier et al, 2016 ; Thomas et al, 2010 ), even in elderly stroke patients ( Park and Chang, 2016 ) and individual with age-related visual problems ( Kovács et al, 2012 ). Other studies also recognize benefits, but the results are not conclusive ( Binns and Taylor, 2011 ; Son et al, 2016 ).…”