title: Physical function and fear of falling 2 years after the health-promoting randomized controlled trial: elderly persons in the risk zone.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of 2 different health-promoting interventions on physical performance, fear of falling, and physical activity at 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups of the study Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone.
  
  
  METHODS
  A randomized, three-armed, single-blind, and controlled study in which 459 independent and community-dwelling people aged 80 years or older were included. A single preventive home visit including health-promoting information and advice and 4 weekly senior group meetings focused on health strategies and peer learning, with a follow-up home visit, were compared with control. Functional balance, walking speed, fear of falling, falls efficacy, and frequency of physical activities were measured 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no or limited differences between the groups at the 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. At 2 years, the odds ratio for having a total score of 48 or more on the Berg Balance scale compared with control was 1.80 (confidence interval 1.11-2.90) for a preventive home visit and 1.96 (confidence interval 1.21-3.17) for the senior meetings. A significantly larger proportion of intervention participants than controls maintained walking speed and reported higher falls efficacy. At 1 and 2 years, a significantly higher proportion of intervention participants performed regular physical activities than control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both a preventive home visit and senior meetings reduced the deterioration in functional balance, walking speed, and falls efficacy after 2 years. The long-term effects of both interventions indicate a positive impact on postponement of physical frailty among independent older people.
authors.affiliation: *Address correspondence to Lena Zidén, Institute of neuroscience and physiology/physiotherapy, University of Gothenburg, P.O. Box 455, SE-405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: lena.ziden@vgregion.se.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zidén
authors.forename: Greta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Häggblom-Kronlöf
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gustafsson
authors.forename: Lillemor
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lundin-Olsson
authors.forename: Synneve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dahlin-Ivanoff
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005239:Fear; D006293:Health Promotion; D006792:House Calls; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: Falls; Frailty; Health promotion; Intention to treat analysis; Oldest old; Self-efficacy