Effect of a program of multifactorial fall prevention on health-related quality of life, functional ability, fear of falling and psychological well-being. A randomized controlled trial.
OBJECTIVE
Falls among older people are associated with injury, functional decline, fear of falling, and depression. This study aims to evaluate the effect of multifactorial fall prevention on function, fear of falling, health-related quality of life and psychological well-being.


METHODS
392 older people > or =65 years sustaining a fall, leading to treatment in the emergency room or hospitalization, were included in a randomized, controlled intervention study on multifactorial fall prevention. The intervention consisted of systematic assessment and personalized treatment aimed at reducing risk factors for falls, and was performed at the geriatric outpatient department of a university hospital. The control group received usual care. Outcome measures were functional ability (Barthel Index and Frenchay Activity Index), fear of falling (Activities Balance Confidence Scale), health-related quality of life (SF- 36), and psychological well-being (SCL-92), and were recorded at interviews 6 and 12 months after inclusion.


RESULTS
Only the physical function of SF-36 was slightly positively affected by the intervention (p=0.04). There were no effects on general health (p=0.49) or mental health (p=0.39) items, Barthel Index (p=0.10), Frenchay Activity Index (p=0.71), balance confidence (p=0.77), anxiety (p=0.92), depression (p=0.90) or somatization (p=0.13).


CONCLUSIONS
This program of multifactorial fall prevention may have an effect on the physical function item of health-related quality of life in favor of the intervention group, but none on other measures of health-related quality of life, daily function, fear of falling or psychological well-being.
Vind
Ane Bonnerup
AB
Research Centre for Aging and Osteoporosis, Glostrup University Hospital, Ndr. Ringvej, Denmark. anbovi01@glo.regionh.dk
Andersen
Hanne Elkjaer
HE
Pedersen
Kirsten Damgaard
KD
Joergensen
Torben
T
Schwarz
Peter
P
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000379:methods*; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006299:Health Services for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D020377:Self Efficacy