TY  - JOUR
PY  - 1994//
TI  - Preventing disability and falls in older adults: a population-based randomized trial
JO  - American journal of public health
A1  - Wagner, E. H.
A1  - LaCroix, A. Z.
A1  - Grothaus, L.
A1  - Leveille, S. G.
A1  - Hecht, J. A.
A1  - Artz, K.
A1  - Odle, K.
A1  - Buchner, D. M.
SP  - 1800
EP  - 1806
VL  - 84
IS  - 11
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Because preventing disability and falls in older adults is a national priority, a randomized controlled trial was conducted to test a multicomponent intervention program. METHODS: From a random sample of health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollees 65 years and older, 1559 ambulatory seniors were randomized to one of three groups: a nurse assessment visit and follow-up interventions targeting risk factors for disability and falls (group 1, n = 635); a general health promotion nurse visit (group 2, n = 317); and usual care (group 3, n = 607). Data collection consisted of a baseline and two annual follow-up surveys. RESULTS: After 1 year, group 1 subjects reported a significantly lower incidence of declining functional status and a significantly lower incidence of falls than group 3 subjects. Group 2 subjects had intermediate levels of most outcomes. After 2 years of follow-up, the differences narrowed. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that a modest, one-time prevention program appeared to confer short-term health benefits on ambulatory HMO enrollees, although benefits diminished by the second year of follow-up. The mechanisms by which the intervention may have improved outcomes require further investigation.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0090-0036
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/
ID  - ref1
ER  -