Effectiveness of an intervention program for prevention of falling among the elderly

这项研究的目的是确定一个旨在防止老年人跌倒的项目的有效性。本研究选取宫城县S镇75岁以上的老年人为研究对象，开展了体育锻炼和预防跌倒健康教育。研究对象为未参与该项目的福岛县S市75岁以上老年人。调查分别在干预计划实施前（2001年8月- 9月）和实施后（2002年8月- 10月）进行。对参与项目的487名受试者和348名对照受试者进行访谈，对参与项目的190名受试者和79名对照受试者进行体能测试。在干预前进行的调查中，居住在干预区的受试者跌倒发生率为24.3%，居住在对照区的受试者跌倒发生率为20.8%。不同地区间发病率无显著差异。在引入该项目后，干预组中跌倒的比例下降了，而对照组中跌倒的比例上升了。干预组定期散步和锻炼的比例在项目结束后有所增加，而对照组定期散步和锻炼的比例则有所下降。此外，干预组的身体柔韧性程度有所增加，而对照组则有所下降。然而，该程序对其他物理参数没有影响。本研究表明，在社区老年人中引入体育锻炼计划和预防跌倒的健康教育对减少跌倒的发生率是有效的。

The objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a program designed to prevent elderly people from falling. The program, which included physical exercises and health education on the prevention of falling, was made available to elderly residents over 75 years old of S Town in Miyagi Prefecture, who were selected as subjects of this study. Elderly residents over 75 years old of S City in Fukushima Prefecture, to whom the program was not made available, were selected as controls. Surveys were carried out before (August-September 2001) and after (August-October 2002) the intervention program. Interviews were conducted with 487 subjects who participated in the program and with 348 control subjects, and 190 subjects who participated in the program and 79 control subjects underwent physical fitness tests.Incidence of falls were 24.3% for subjects living in the intervention area, and 20.8% for subjects living in the control area *at the survey conducted before the intervention. There was no significant difference in incidence between areas. The percentage of subjects in the intervention group who experienced falls decreased after introduction of the program, whereas the percentage of subjects in the control group who experienced falls increased. The percentage of subjects who walked and exercised regularly increased after the program in the intervention group, whereas the percentage of subjects who walked and exercised regularly decreased in the control group. Moreover, the degree of physical flexibility increased in the intervention group but decreased in the control group. However, the program had no effects on other physical parameters.The present study suggests that the introduction of a physical exercise program and health education on the prevention of falling in a community of elderly people is effective for reducing the incidence of falling.