Self-Monitoring of Balance Performance can Reduce the Rate of Falls Among Older Adults

• Main Authors: Katharine E. Forth (Author), Charles S. Layne (Author), Stefan I. Madansingh (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A., 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 2624-9367; 10.3389/fspor.2021.680269
• Keywords: balance; fall risk analysis in older people; postural stability (postural control); older adult; balance health; Sports; GV557-1198.995
• Source: Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, Vol 3 (2021)

Background: 29% of older adults fall annually, resulting in the leading cause of accidental death. Fall prevention programs typically include exercise training and self-monitoring of physical activity has a positive effect on the self-efficacy and self-regulation of exercise behaviors. We assessed if self-monitoring of fall risk, without an intervention, impacts fall rates.Methods: Fifty-three older adults had open access to a balance measuring platform which allowed them to self-monitor their postural stability and fall risk using a simple 1-min standing balance test. 12-month retrospective fall history was collected and a monthly/bimonthly fall log captured prospective falls. Participants had access to self-monitoring for up to 2.2 years. Fall history and fall incidence rate ratios and their confidence intervals were compared between the periods of time with and without access to self-monitoring.Results: A 54% reduction in the number of people who fell and a 74% reduction in the number of falls was observed when participants were able to self-monitor their postural stability and fall risk, after normalizing for participation length. Further, 42.9% of individuals identified as having high fall risk at baseline shifted to a lower risk category at a median 34 days and voluntarily measured themselves for a longer period of time.Discussion: We attribute this reduction in falls to changes in health behaviors achieved through empowerment from improved self-efficacy and self-regulation. Providing older adults with the ability to self-monitor their postural stability and intuit their risk of falling appears to have modified their health behaviors to successfully reduce fall rates.