@article{ref1,
title="Self-monitoring of balance performance can reduce the rate of falls among older adults",
journal="Frontiers in sports and active living",
year="2021",
author="Forth, Katharine E. and Layne, Charles S. and Madansingh, Stefan I.",
volume="3",
number="",
pages="e680269-e680269",
abstract="BACKGROUND: 29% of older adults fall annually, resulting in the leading cause of accidental death. Fall prevention programs typically include exercise training and self-monitoring of physical activity has a positive effect on the self-efficacy and self-regulation of exercise behaviors. We assessed if self-monitoring of fall risk, without an intervention, impacts fall rates. <br><br>METHODS: Fifty-three older adults had open access to a balance measuring platform which allowed them to self-monitor their postural stability and fall risk using a simple 1-min standing balance test. 12-month retrospective fall history was collected and a monthly/bimonthly fall log captured prospective falls. Participants had access to self-monitoring for up to 2.2 years. Fall history and fall incidence rate ratios and their confidence intervals were compared between the periods of time with and without access to self-monitoring. <br><br>RESULTS: A 54% reduction in the number of people who fell and a 74% reduction in the number of falls was observed when participants were able to self-monitor their postural stability and fall risk, after normalizing for participation length. Further, 42.9% of individuals identified as having high fall risk at baseline shifted to a lower risk category at a median 34 days and voluntarily measured themselves for a longer period of time. <br><br>DISCUSSION: We attribute this reduction in falls to changes in health behaviors achieved through empowerment from improved self-efficacy and self-regulation. Providing older adults with the ability to self-monitor their postural stability and intuit their risk of falling appears to have modified their health behaviors to successfully reduce fall rates.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2624-9367",
doi="10.3389/fspor.2021.680269",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fspor.2021.680269"
}