Effect of Strength and Balance Training Program on Balance and Quality of Life in Older Male Adults with Fear of Fall

Abstract

Objectives Falls in older adults occurs mainly because of balance defects and postural instability. Falls and fallsrelated\rinjuries result in fear of fall in the elderly. This most common fear in older adults can cause self-imposed\rdecline in activities and functions of the elderly. Falls, fear of falling, and their negative consequences can affect\rolder adults' quality of life, daily living activities, and physical functions. In this regard, this study aimed to\rexamine the effects of strength and balance training intervention program on the balance performance and\rquality of life of community-dwelling older adults with fear of falling.\rMethods & Materials The research method was quasi-experimental, with pretest and posttest design. Statistical\rpopulation comprised older male adults living in Arak City, Iran. Out of them, 130 older male adults participated\rin the screening test. Then, 31 eligible subjects with fear of falling were randomly selected and assigned\rto experiment group (n=15) (mean age=66.07 y) and control group (n=16) (mean age=70.14 y). Subjects in\rthe experiment group participated in a 10-week strength and balance intervention training program, 3 days\rper week, each session lasted 90 minutes. The intervention program included stretching training, upper and\rlower extremities strength training, balance training, and cool-down. It was performed in the presence of a\rphysician. Data were collected by valid and reliable tools, including Mini-Mental Status Examination (MMSE),\r36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36), Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), and one-leg standing balance\rperformance test. Independent Student t test with significant level of ≤ 0.05 was used for data analysis. The\rpretest and posttest scores were compared with the Student t test, and the data were analyzed with SPSS 16.\rResults There were no significant differences between mean scores of MMSE in the experiment and control\rgroups (P=0.24). The findings indicated that mean scores of one-leg standing balance performance test with\rsupport foot (P=0.04) and leading foot (P≤0.001) of experiment group improved significantly. Moreover, the\rtraining intervention program improved mean scores of quality of life (SF-36) subscales, including physical\rfunctioning, role limitations due to physical health, bodily pain, general health perceptions, vitality (energy/fatigue),\rand general mental health (P≤0.05). No significant differences were observed in the mean scores of social\rfunction and role limitation due to emotional problems subscales after the intervention program (P>0.05).\rConclusion According the findings, 10-week strength and balance intervention training program improved balance\rperformance and quality of life in older adults with fear of falling. These results highlight the role of\rmuscle strength and balance in daily activities of older adults with this fear. The findings emphasize the importance\rof using the combination of strength and balance training intervention method for the improvement of\rhealth status and prevention of falls in older people.