Effects of Exercise Programs on Balance and Fear of Falling among Elderly in the Community

Abstract

The purpose of this randomized controlled trial was to study the effects of exercise programs on balance and fear of falling among elderly in the community. The study was conducted during January and March 2021. Samples were 62 male and female elderly, aged between 60–75 years old who resided in Jor Ho sub-district, Mueang district, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The samples were assigned into 2 groups with 31 samples in each group using systematic randomization. Both groups participated a 6-week-long program. The experimental group were engaged in group activities 6 times and exercise training according to exercise programs that improve balance and reduce fear of falling among the elderly by adjusting the training level according to the program from easy to hard. Each week’s exercise program lasted 30 minutes per day, 3 days per week. The control group received group activities 4 times, with the contents on health promotion and general exercise. Instruments used to collect the data were questionnaires and test record form both before and after the program. The samples from both groups were tested before and after the program with the Time Up and Go Test (TUGT), the Single Leg Stance Test (SLST), and Thai Geriatric Fear of Falling (FoF) questionnaire. The data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, means, standard deviations, t-tests, and proportion tests.

The results of the study showed that, after finishing the program, the experimental group had significant improvements in the results from TUGT and SLST than those from the control group and had significant improvement when comparing between before and after attending the program (p<0.001). The results from FoF questionnaire also showed the improvements among experimental groups when comparing between before and after attending the program as well as when comparing with the control group (p-value=0.008). This study shows that programmed training can increase physical fitness and improve stability and reduce the fear of falling in the elderly.