the effect of walking on falls in older people the easy steps to health randomized controlled trial study protocol走在下降的影响老年人的健康简单的步骤的随机对照试验研究协议.pdfVIP

Voukelatos et al. BMC Public Health 2011, 11:888 /1471-2458/11/888 STUDY PROTOCOL Open Access The effect of walking on falls in older people: the ‘Easy Steps to Health’ randomized controlled trial study protocol Alexander Voukelatos1†, Dafna Merom2,3*†, Chris Rissel3†, Cathie Sherrington4†, Wendy Watson5† and Karen Waller6† Abstract Background: Falls in older people continue to be a major public health issue in industrialized countries. Extensive research into falls prevention has identified exercise as a proven fall prevention strategy. However, despite over a decade of promoting physical activity, hospitalisation rates due to falls injuries in older people are still increasing. This could be because efforts to increase physical activity amongst older people have been unsuccessful, or the physical activity that older people engage in is insufficient and/or inappropriate. The majority of older people choose walking as their predominant form of exercise. While walking has been shown to lower the risk of many chronic diseases its role in falls prevention remains unclear. This paper outlines the methodology of a study whose aims are to determine: if a home-based walking intervention will reduce the falls rate among healthy but inactive community-dwelling older adults (65 + years) compared to no intervention (usual activity) and; whether such an intervention can improve risk factors for falls, such as balance, strength and reaction time. Methods/Design: This study uses a randomised controlled trial design. A total of 484 older people exercising less than 120 minutes per week will be recruited through the community and health care referrals throughout Sydney and neighboring regions. All participants are randomised into either the self-managed walking program group or the health-education waiting list group using a b