Approaching year 2021, leaving a special year 2020 behind. During the current coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic physical activity and exercise have become a central topic, especially amongst the older adults. It is important to support the care of older adults, since they are one of the main risk groups for the virus (SARS-CoV-2) [Citation1]. Recently, new guidelines from World Health Organization (WHO) regarding physical activity and sedentary behaviour was released [Citation2]. The main message was to increase volumes of physical activity in daily life and to decrease sedentary behaviour [Citation3]. In addition, the guidelines highlight the importance of both strength and balance exercises for older adults, with the notion of preventing falls. Too often, older adults’ participation in physical activity and exercise is generally low. Moreover, among the older age group, sedentary behaviour is a common risk factor resulting in a decline in physical functions. A combination of these factors are also associated with higher risk of frailty [Citation4,Citation5] and falls. In addition, isolation during the pandemic affects social life negatively, leading to a higher risk of loneliness and depression [Citation6]. Therefore, the isolation and sedentary behaviour due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will certainly have an impact on older adult’s health and especially their activity levels, leading to future increased global health challenges for the older adults. In the research field of fall prevention, it is well known that a decline in physical functions such as muscle strength and balance in older adults highly associate with falls and fall-related injuries. Moreover, exercises targeting these functions have been suggested to be effective in counteracting this decline [Citation7,Citation8]. The main question in the light of the expected consequences from the pandemic situation is if the sedentary lifestyle during the pandemic will lead to increased fall rates among older adults in both short- and long-term perspectives. There is currently a large amount of research highlighting the challenges in providing optimal and effective fall prevention exercise programs to older adults, in terms of fidelity and exercise dosage [Citation8–10]. In addition, there is also a substantial amount of research indicating that evidence-based, well-designed strength and balance fall preventive exercise programs are effective in the combat to decrease falls and fall-related injuries [Citation7,Citation8,Citation11–13]. Therefore, there is a need to step up and use the knowledge of fidelity and exercise dosage in well-designed fall prevention exercise programs, that are individually tailored, and supported by a professional and/or technology. The explosion of using technology worldwide during the pandemic has also been introduced in the research field of fall prevention, more than ever before. Technology is suggested to be a new way to support performance of exercise, especially when physical meetings and physical support are limited. However, more research is needed in the field of using technology in fall prevention, i.e. technology that is developed in collaboration with older adults [Citation13]. This technology must address the known challenges with fall prevention exercise, fidelity and dosage. Further, in the light of fidelity, adherence should be given extra attention when striving for successful long-term maintenance of fall-prevention exercise behaviour [Citation14,Citation15].
Therefore, this Editorial addresses researchers, healthcare professionals and public health policy makers with emphasis that this topic must be prioritised and provided to everyone in need, especially older adults. Let us together reduce fall prevention debt in 2021!
Research and Development in Sörmland, Sörmland, Sweden
Department of Physiotherapy, School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Mälardalen University, Västerås, Sweden
[email protected]
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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