title: Effects of physical exercise on fall risk factors in elderly at home in intervention trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In this study, we used an intervention approach to examine the effects of physical exercise on elderly people living at home in a rural area.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two regions in a village were randomly assigned as the control and intervention regions. The subjects were 60 years of age or older and were able to carry out their activities of daily living independently. The numbers of subjects were 56 and 81 for the control and intervention regions, respectively. In the control region, lectures on health were provided twice. In the intervention region, instructions on ten types of physical exercise were provided six times during this three-month study. In addition, the subjects in the intervention region were instructed to do, exercises by themselves at home three days per week. The effects were compared by evaluating motor functions in maximum step length, 10-m full-power walking parameters, right knee extension torque, right hip flexion torque, and stepping time on a 40-cm staircase; data were obtained before and after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) showed significant improvements in right maximum step length, the mean of the right and left maximum step lengths, and right hip flexion torque in the intervention region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The three-month physical exercise program improves the motor functions of the elderly.
authors: Department of Physical Therapy, Niigata University of Health and Welfare, 1398 Shimamityou, 950-3198, Niigatasi, Niigata, Japan, ryo-koba@nuhw.ac.jp.
authors: Ryosaku
authors: R
authors: Kobayashi
authors: Hiroto
authors: H
authors: Nakadaira
authors: Kazuo
authors: K
authors: Ishigami
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Muto
authors: Shizuki
authors: S
authors: Anesaki
authors: Masaharu
authors: M
authors: Yamamoto