TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2014//
TI  - Physical function and fear of falling 2 years after the health-promoting randomized controlled trial: Elderly persons in the risk zone
JO  - Gerontologist
A1  - Zidén, Lena
A1  - Häggblom-Kronlöf, Greta
A1  - Gustafsson, Susanne
A1  - Lundin-Olsson, Lillemor
A1  - Dahlin-Ivanoff, Synneve
SP  - 387
EP  - 397
VL  - 54
IS  - 3
N2  - PURPOSE: To investigate the effects of 2 different health-promoting interventions on physical performance, fear of falling, and physical activity at 3-month, 1-year, and 2-year follow-ups of the study Elderly Persons in the Risk Zone. DESIGN AND METHODS: A randomized, three-armed, single-blind, and controlled study in which 459 independent and community-dwelling people aged 80 years or older were included. A single preventive home visit including health-promoting information and advice and 4 weekly senior group meetings focused on health strategies and peer learning, with a follow-up home visit, were compared with control. Functional balance, walking speed, fear of falling, falls efficacy, and frequency of physical activities were measured 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after baseline. RESULTS: There were no or limited differences between the groups at the 3-month and 1-year follow-ups. At 2 years, the odds ratio for having a total score of 48 or more on the Berg Balance scale compared with control was 1.75 (confidence interval 1.09-2.83) for a preventive home visit and 1.87 (confidence interval 1.16-3.02) for the senior meetings. A significantly larger proportion of intervention participants than controls maintained walking speed and reported higher falls efficacy. At 1 and 2 years, a significantly higher proportion of intervention participants performed regular physical activities than control. IMPLICATIONS: Both a preventive home visit and senior meetings reduced the deterioration in functional balance, walking speed, and falls efficacy after 2 years. The long-term effects of both interventions indicate a positive impact on postponement of physical frailty among independent older people.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0016-9013
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnt078
ID  - ref1
ER  -