Prevalence of Fall and Psychological and Physical Change Among the Community Elderly : 2-year Intervention Study to Prevent Falls

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to conduct a two-year program for the prevention of falling targeted at the elderly residing in rural areas and evaluate psychological and physical change among the elderly in two years. The following findings were obtained as a result of this study; 1) The subjects were consisted of 17males (40.5 %) and 25 females (59.5 %). 2) The number of persons who had experienced falling during the past year decreased to 13 persons (31.0 %) in 2000 and to 11 persons (26.2 %) in 2002. Among the 13 persons who experienced falling in 2000, there were 8 persons (61.5 %) who had not fallen (improvement) and 5 persons (38.5 %) who had fallen (recurrence of falling) in 2002. In addition, among the 23 persons who did not experience falling in 2000, 6 persons (26.1 %) experience falling for the first time in 2002. 3) Factors relating to the recurrence of repeated falling consisted of the four parameters Timed Up and Go test and functional reach.