Prevention of Falls Among Older Adults in Community Settings

Oregon Research Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Fall

Treatments: Behavioral: Stretching; Behavioral: Multimodal Exercise; Behavioral: Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02287740

1R01AG045094-01A1

Details and patient eligibility

About

Objective: To conduct a comparative efficacy and cost-effectiveness study of an evidence-based fall prevention program-Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance (TJQMBB).

Full description

To determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the two evidence-based exercise programs (Multimodal Exercise,TJQMBB) relative to stretching, a proxy for a minimum practice standard, in reducing falls among older adults at risk of falling.

Enrollment: 670 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 70+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• aged 70 years or older living independently in the community
• at least one fall in the preceding 12 months and a referral from a healthcare provider indicating the participant is at risk of falls due to gait/balance impairment or medication use or impaired mobility as evidenced by Timed Up and Go result of >13.5 seconds
• no participation in daily and/or structured vigorous physical activity or walking for exercise that lasted 15 minutes or longer at a time or muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week in the previous 3 months
• walking independently, with or without the use of an assistive device,
• no severe cognitive impairment (Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥20)
• able to exercise safely as determined by their healthcare provider,
• a willingness to be randomly assigned to an intervention condition and complete the 6-month intervention and 6 month follow-up.

Exclusion criteria

• any medical or physical conditions deemed unacceptable by their physician or healthcare provider,
• planned to leave the study area within the next 12 months.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Prevention

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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670 participants in 3 patient groups

Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance

Experimental group

Description:

This protocol involves training 2 times a week for 6 months.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Tai Ji Quan: Moving for Better Balance

Multimodal Exercise

Active Comparator group

Description:

This protocol involves training 2 times a week for 6 months.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Multimodal Exercise

Stretching

Sham Comparator group

Description:

This protocol involves participation of 2 times a week for 6 months.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Stretching