title: Short stick exercises for fall prevention among older adults: a cluster randomized trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effects of short stick exercise (SSEs) on fall prevention and improvement of physical function in older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomized trial was conducted in five residential care facilities. The intervention group (n = 51) practiced SSEs for six months, followed by routine care for six more months. The control group (n = 54) received ordinary care for 12 months. The primary outcome measure was the number of fallers, taking into account the time to first fall using the Kaplan-Meier method. The secondary outcome measures were physical and mental functions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The number of fallers was significantly lower in the intervention group (n = 6) than in the control group (n = 16) during the 12 months. The adjusted hazard ratio for a first fall in the intervention group compared with the control group was 0.15 (CI, 0.03 to 0.74, p = 0.02). The fall-free period was significantly longer in the intervention group than in controls (mean ± SD, 10.1 ± 3.0 versus 9.0 ± 4.1 months, p = 0.027). The functional reach and sit and reach tests were significantly improved at three and six months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SSEs appeared effective for fall prevention and improvement of physical function in older adults. Implications for Rehabilitation The newly developed short stick exercises appear an effective means of reducing falls among older adults in residential care facilities. The short stick exercises seem to have an immediate effect on improving physical functions. Effects gained by performing the short stick exercises, such as static balance, flexibility and agility may last for six months. The short stick exercises were found to be easy for older adults to practice continuously in residential care facilities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kansai University of Welfare Sciences , Osaka , Japan and.
authors.forename: Katsushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yokoi
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshimasu
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takemura
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kurasawa
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyashita
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015444:Exercise; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D004856:Postural Balance; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Exercise; falls; older adults; residential care