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Abstract
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BACKGROUND: Falls among older adults are the most common cause of hospital admissions. A Matter of Balance may reduce these falls by improving balance, flexibility, gait speed, and agility.
OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to measure functional reach and gait speed among adults older than 65 years following A Matter of Balance. It was hypothesized that functional reach scores would increase and gait speed scores would decrease.
METHODS: This was an interventional study with the primary outcomes of functional reach (measured by the Functional Reach test) and gait speed (measured by the Timed Up and Go test). A one-tailed paired t test was used to compare pre- and postprogram functional reach mean differences. A one-tailed Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for comparing median differences of pre- and postprogram gait speed. Characteristics of participants who improved scores were compared with those who did not improve, using two-tailed independent-samples t tests and two-tailed Pearson's χ2. Effect sizes were computed for tests significant beyond p <.05.
RESULTS: Mean functional reach increased by 0.6 inches (SD = 2.21, p =.002; d = 0.2). Median gait speed decreased by 1.25 s (interquartile range = 2.39, p <.001; r =.76). Improvement was not attributable to differences of age, sex, health status, preexisting conditions, or delivery site.
CONCLUSIONS: Following A Matter of Balance, functional reach and gait speed improved. Adults older than 65 years should be encouraged to participate in the program, as it may reduce their fall risk.
Language: en |