Effectiveness of a community-based multifaceted fall-prevention intervention in active and independent older Chinese adults.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effectiveness of an 18-month multifaceted intervention designed to reduce the incidence of falls in community-living older adults in China.


METHODS
A population-based community trial evaluated by before-and-after cross-sectional surveys. Four residential communities were randomised to either a multifaceted intervention or a control condition. Baseline information was collected from a sample of older adults in each community. A 1-year annual fall rate was calculated after an 18-month comprehensive intervention.


RESULTS
After intervention, 7.19% of the intervention community sample reported falls, compared with 17.86% of the control community sample (p<0.000). The annual fall rate decreased by 10.52% in the intervention communities, whereas the difference in control communities was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Multifaceted interventions in community settings may be useful in preventing falls among older people, and can be applied in similar settings in China.
Xia
Q H
QH
Changning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 39 Yun Wushan Road, Shanghai 200051, China. xiaqinghua56@126.com
Jiang
Y
Y
Niu
C J
CJ
Tang
C X
CX
Xia
Z L
ZL
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002681:China; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006299:Health Services for the Aged / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged