Effects of Physical and Cognitive Training on Falls and Concern About Falling in Older Adults: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial Show others and affiliations
2021 (English) In: The journals of gerontology. Series A, Biological sciences and medical sciences, ISSN 1079-5006, E-ISSN 1758-535X, Vol. 77, no 7, p. 1430-1437Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]
Background The aim of this study is to investigate whether combined cognitive and physical training provides additional benefits to fall prevention when compared with physical training (PT) alone in older adults. Methods This is a prespecified secondary analysis of a single-blind, randomized controlled trial involving community-dwelling men and women aged 70-85 years who did not meet the physical activity guidelines. The participants were randomized into combined physical and cognitive training (PTCT, n = 155) and PT (n = 159) groups. PT included supervised and home-based physical exercises following the physical activity recommendations. PTCT included PT and computer-based cognitive training. The outcome was the rate of falls over the 12-month intervention (PTCT, n = 151 and PT, n = 155) and 12-month postintervention follow-up (PTCT, n = 143 and PT, n = 148). Falls were ascertained from monthly diaries. Exploratory outcomes included the rate of injurious falls, faller/recurrent faller/fall-related fracture status, and concern about falling. Results Estimated incidence rates of falls per person-year were 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.7-1.1) in the PTCT and 1.1 (95% CI 0.9-1.3) in the PT during the intervention and 0.8 (95% CI 0.7-1.0) versus 1.0 (95% CI 0.8-1.1), respectively, during the postintervention follow-up. There was no significant difference in the rate of falls during the intervention (incidence rate ratio [IRR] = 0.78; 95% CI 0.56-1.10, p = .152) or in the follow-up (IRR = 0.83; 95% CI 0.59-1.15, p = .263). No significant between-group differences were observed in any exploratory outcomes. Conclusion A yearlong PTCT intervention did not result in a significantly lower rate of falls or concern about falling than PT alone in older community-dwelling adults.
Place, publisher, year, edition, pages Oxford University Press, 2021. Vol. 77, no 7, p. 1430-1437
Keywords [en]
Executive functions, Exercise, Fall prevention, Follow-up, Intervention
National Category
Geriatrics Health Sciences
Research subject Social Work
Identifiers URN: urn:nbn:se:kau:diva-89151 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab375 ISI: 000764218700001 PubMedID: 34910809 Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85134083500 OAI: oai:DiVA.org:kau-89151 DiVA, id: diva2:1645533
2022-03-182022-03-182022-09-01 Bibliographically approved