The Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Program for Older Adults at Risk in Community, Mueang Yasothon District, Yasothon Province
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.60099/jtnmc.v38i02.262338Keywords:
older adults, falls, awareness, fall preventive behaviors, balance, risk of fallsAbstract
Introduction Falls, an increasing health concern among older adults, have a significant impact on their quality of life as well as that of their families and communities. Implementing effective fall prevention strategies for older adults at risk is vital to mitigate this issue.
Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a fall prevention program on awareness of fall risks, fall preventive behaviors, balance, safety environment, and risk of falls among fall-prone older adults in the community.
Design A quasi-experimental design with two-group pretest-posttest
Methodology The study included participants aged 60-79 years residing in Muang Yasothon District, Yasothon Province. A multistage random sampling technique was employed, initially selecting two zones and subdistricts which were then assigned to the experimental and comparison groups. Within each group, random selection was conducted among older adults who were identified as being at risk of falling, followed by matching pairs, resulting in a total of 40 participants in each group. The study utilized the following instruments: (1) a community-based fall prevention program for older adults at risk, developed using the PRECEDE-PROCEED model. The program consisted of activities aimed at modifying fall-prone predisposing factors, reinforcing factors, and enabling factors, covering a duration of 10 weeks. The program revealed high content validity with a content validity index (CVI) of .98; (2) questionnaires comprising three parts: Part 1 collected general information, Part 2 assessed awareness of fall risks, and Part 3 evaluated fall preventive behaviors. Both Part 2 and Part 3 questionnaires demonstrated high CVIs of .98 and .99, respectively. Reliability testing was conducted among 30 fall-prone older adults, yielding Cronbach's alpha coefficients of .83 and .87 for Part 2 and Part 3, respectively; (3) balance tests were administered; (4) a form was used to observe the safety environment for older adults; (5) a form was utilized to assess the risk of falls in older adults. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-tests, Chi-square tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, and Wilcoxon Signed-Rank tests.
Results After the program, the experimental group had more awareness of fall risks (t = -11.947, p<.001), fall preventive behaviors (t = -6.466, p<.001), balance (t = 8.274, p<.001), and safety environment (Z =-4.538, p <.001) than before the program and the comparison group. Furthermore, the experimental group had a lower risk of falls than before the program (Z =-5.088, p<.001) and the comparison group.
Recommendation Registered nurses and healthcare teams can effectively implement the fall prevention program for older adults at risk in the community to raise awareness, promote fall preventive behaviors, improve balance, and enhance the safety environment. By doing so, they can significantly reduce the risk of falls among older adults who are prone to falling within the community
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