Fall Prevention in the Elderly: A Community Intervention Project.
- 1Family Medicine, Unidade Local de Saúde de Santo António EPE, Porto, PRT.
- 2Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Unidade Local de Saúde Gaia/Espinho, Porto, PRT.
Abstract
Introduction Falls are the main cause of accidental morbidity and mortality among the elderly population, compromising autonomy and quality of life. This study, developed by a multidisciplinary team, aimed to implement and assess the feasibility and potential impact of a community-based intervention in Day Centers for the prevention of falls among older adults through a combination of health education, structured physical exercise, and recommendations addressing modifiable environmental and behavioral risk factors. Materials and methods A prospective single-group pre-post intervention study was conducted among older adults attending Day Centers. All older adults attending the participating Day Centers during the recruitment period were screened for eligibility. Participants who met the predefined inclusion criteria, without neurological or musculoskeletal conditions that would prevent participation, and who provided informed consent were included, resulting in a final sample of 31 participants. The intervention lasted 12 weeks and consisted of theoretical educational sessions with distribution of informational materials, as well as practical training focused on balance and muscle strengthening. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using pre- and post-intervention results of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand test. Results Results showed a slight improvement in participants' perceived balance, reflected by increased scores on the ABC scale (from 47.9% to 50.1%). Performance in the Sit-to-Stand test also improved (from 7.5 to 11 repetitions), suggesting gains in lower-limb strength. In contrast, performance on the TUG test declined, with the average completion time increasing from 17 to 19 seconds, indicating a less favorable change in mobility performance. Conclusion This study presents inherent limitations such as inter-individual variability among participants, adherence challenges, and contextual or environmental constraints for practical sessions. Despite these limitations, the project reinforces the importance of structured community interventions in empowering older adults to prevent falls, promoting active and safe aging. Future strategies should focus on optimizing adherence, tailoring interventions to the specific needs of geriatric populations, and extending the duration while simplifying the strategies used.
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BibTeX
@article{queiros2026fall,
title = {{Fall Prevention in the Elderly: A Community Intervention Project.}},
author = {Ana Rita Queirós and Ana M Gonçalves and Fátima L Gomes and Filipa S Couto and Inês G Castro and João Francisco Poças and Luís L Correia and Tiago Jorge Ribeiro},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116991},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948363},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fall Prevention in the Elderly: A Community Intervention Project.
AU - Ana Rita Queirós
AU - Ana M Gonçalves
AU - Fátima L Gomes
AU - Filipa S Couto
AU - Inês G Castro
AU - João Francisco Poças
AU - Luís L Correia
AU - Tiago Jorge Ribeiro
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/27
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116991
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42948363
AB - Introduction Falls are the main cause of accidental morbidity and mortality among the elderly population, compromising autonomy and quality of life. This study, developed by a multidisciplinary team, aimed to implement and assess the feasibility and potential impact of a community-based intervention in Day Centers for the prevention of falls among older adults through a combination of health education, structured physical exercise, and recommendations addressing modifiable environmental and behavioral risk factors. Materials and methods A prospective single-group pre-post intervention study was conducted among older adults attending Day Centers. All older adults attending the participating Day Centers during the recruitment period were screened for eligibility. Participants who met the predefined inclusion criteria, without neurological or musculoskeletal conditions that would prevent participation, and who provided informed consent were included, resulting in a final sample of 31 participants. The intervention lasted 12 weeks and consisted of theoretical educational sessions with distribution of informational materials, as well as practical training focused on balance and muscle strengthening. The effectiveness of the intervention was assessed using pre- and post-intervention results of the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and 1-Minute Sit-to-Stand test. Results Results showed a slight improvement in participants' perceived balance, reflected by increased scores on the ABC scale (from 47.9% to 50.1%). Performance in the Sit-to-Stand test also improved (from 7.5 to 11 repetitions), suggesting gains in lower-limb strength. In contrast, performance on the TUG test declined, with the average completion time increasing from 17 to 19 seconds, indicating a less favorable change in mobility performance. Conclusion This study presents inherent limitations such as inter-individual variability among participants, adherence challenges, and contextual or environmental constraints for practical sessions. Despite these limitations, the project reinforces the importance of structured community interventions in empowering older adults to prevent falls, promoting active and safe aging. Future strategies should focus on optimizing adherence, tailoring interventions to the specific needs of geriatric populations, and extending the duration while simplifying the strategies used.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -