Effect evaluation of a multifactor community intervention to reduce falls among older persons

Abstract

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactor and multi-method community intervention programme to reduce falls among older persons by at least 20%. In a pre-test – post test design, self-reported falls were registered for 10 months in the intervention community and two control communities. After the pre-test registration, participants followed the intervention programme (Information and education, Training and exercise and Environmental modifications) for 14 months. All communities were situated in the Province of Friesland in the north of The Netherlands. The study ran from November 1999 to November 2002. The participants (intervention 1122; control 630) were aged 65 years and older and lived independently. There was no significant decrease in total falls, except outside the home, among women (odds ratio = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.30 – 0.98; p = 0.041). The multifactor intervention programme was not effective. The reduction of falls outside the home among women could be due to reduced outdoor physical activity.

Keywords:

• Community intervention
• Falls prevention
• Older persons
• Effect evaluation
• Physical activity

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by The Netherlands Health Research and Development Council (ZonMw), The Hague, and the Province of Friesland, Leeuwarden in The Netherlands.