Randomized control trials on Otago exercise program (OEP) to reduce falls among elderly community dwellers in Shahroud, Iran

Background: Fall is a worldwide health problem among elderly people and a known leading cause of disabilities. Fall prevention programs have been implemented in various forms. The Otago exercise program (OEP) is one of the most recent home-base exercise training program. Objectives: This study was conducted to examine the effectiveness of OEP to reduce falls among elderly people in Shahroud, IR Iran. Materials and Methods: This randomised control trial was conducted among the elderly community dwellers in Shahroud city of the Semnan province, IR Iran, with experience of falls in the last 12 months. Subjects of the study (n = 317) were recruited from elderly senior citizens at public health centers. Block systematic random sampling was applied to categorize the subjects in experimental and control groups. The experimental group (n = 160) received OEP for six months and was compared with the control group (n = 157) who received general health training. This study was registered with the following ID, IRCT2014012016285N1. Results: The findings of the study showed that OEP improved physical performance (Berg-Balance-Score with P > 0.025, and Timed-Up-Go-Test with P > 0.017) and functional capacity (Arm-Curl-Test with P > 0.00 and Chair-Stand-Test with P > 0.01). In addition, OEP significantly reduced the incidence of falls (P ≤ 0.00) among senior citizens in the experimental group. Discussion: The OEP as a home-based exercise is effective for the reduction of the incidence of falls among senior citizens with a history of falls. The OEP can be recommended for elderly homebound people who do not have access to facilities

Internal Consistency of Persian Version of Falls Efficacy Scale and Activity-Specific Balance Scale

Background: Falls is worldwide health problem among older adults. Different scales have been introduced related to falls, including Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Activity-Specific Balance Scale (ABCS). Persian version of these scale needs to be assessed for internal consistency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency of Persian version of FES and ABCS.Methods: In this pilot descriptive cross-sectional study, subjects (n=20) were selected by convenient sampling from elderly community dwellers. Prior to assessing the internal consistency, the original scales were first translated and culturally adapted from English into Persian according to a standardized procedure. Moreover the Cronbach’s alpha of the scales was calculated by SPSS software version 21.Results: The Cronbach’s alpha of the FES and ABCS were calculated as 0.895 and 0.894, respectively. The inter-item correlation matrix of FES with 10 item and ABCS with 16 items, were positive and acceptable in both scales. Moreover, Cronbach’s alpha if item deleted for all items in ABCS were lower than 0.894 and in FES were below 0.895. It suggests that if each item deleted in both scales, the consistency of the test would decline. Therefor all items were necessary for the scales.Conclusions: The unity of the scales and internal consistency of the 16-item ABCS and 10-item of FES were good and comparable to what has been reported for previous versions of the scales in other cultures. FES and ABCS are two scales which can be used in Persian language for further studies on falls among older adults

Internal Consistency of Persian Version of Falls Efficacy Scale and Activity-Specific Balance Scale

Background: Falls is worldwide health problem among older adults. Different scales have been introduced related to falls, including Falls Efficacy Scale (FES) and Activity-Specific Balance Scale (ABCS). Persian version of these scale needs to be assessed for internal consistency. The aim of this study was to evaluate the internal consistency of Persian version of FES and ABCS.Methods: In this pilot descriptive cross-sectional study, subjects (n=20) were selected by convenient sampling from elderly community dwellers. Prior to assessing the internal consistency, the original scales were first translated and culturally adapted from English into Persian according to a standardized procedure. Moreover the Cronbach’s alpha of the scales was calculated by SPSS software version 21.Results: The Cronbach’s alpha of the FES and ABCS were calculated as 0.895 and 0.894, respectively. The inter-item correlation matrix of FES with 10 item and ABCS with 16 items, were positive and acceptable in both scales. Moreover, Cronbach’s alpha if item deleted for all items in ABCS were lower than 0.894 and in FES were below 0.895. It suggests that if each item deleted in both scales, the consistency of the test would decline. Therefor all items were necessary for the scales.Conclusions: The unity of the scales and internal consistency of the 16-item ABCS and 10-item of FES were good and comparable to what has been reported for previous versions of the scales in other cultures. FES and ABCS are two scales which can be used in Persian language for further studies on falls among older adults