• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.8
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• pp.5186-5194
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• 2014

Falls are one of the most serious problem that threatens the health of the elderly. This study was conducted twice a week for six weeks from May to June 2014 to evaluate the effectiveness of fall prevention exercises for rural seniors. This study analyzed the effects by comparing before and after exercise on the TUG, FRT, BBS, ADL, fear of falls, fall efficacy, and depression. The results of this study was as follows: Hypothesis1, "a TUG of post-test will improve more than the pre-test", was supported. Hypothesis3, "BBS of the post-test would improve more than the pre-test" was supported. In addition, the FRT, ADL, fear of fall, fall efficacy, and depression of post-test would improve more than the pre-test. Accordingly this study showed that fall prevention exercises are effective in improving the physical function (TUG, FRT, BBS, and ADL) and emotional function (fear of fall, fall efficacy, and depression) in rural seniors.

• 한국노년학
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.1155-1167
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• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of falls, fear of falling, perceived health status, and number of disease according to cognitive function in community-dwelling the elderly women. This study utilized a descriptive survey design. Data were collected for six months with 311 elderly women who visited in public health center at S city. After obtaining Institutional Review Board(IRB) approval, a face-to-face, and private interview was conducted with each participant who was eligible and agreed to participate in this study by trained graduate-level nursing students. The questionnaires consisted of MoCA-K, K-MMSE, Fall Efficacy Scale, PHS scale. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 17.0 program, which was used descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test and t-test, Correlation. The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) The average age of the subjects was 71.68±5.13 and cognitive function score was 22.14±4.32. approximately 35% of participants had fallen within one year. 2) there were significant differences in perceived health status according to cognitive function. 3) fear of fall and cognitive function, perceived health status and cognitive function were significant correlation. In conclusion, this study will contribute to establish strategies for preventing fall. Interventions for fall prevention and fear of fall enhancement should be developed with the consideration of the level of cognitive function in the elderly. Reducing the fear of falling through the comprehensive nursing intervention will ultimately improve the quality of life in the elderly.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.433-449
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• 2002

노인에 있어 낙상 (falls)의 결과는 신체 기능상의 상실을 가져 올 뿐 아니 라 종종 사망에 이르게 하는 원인이 되기도 하여 중대한 건강상의 문제로 다루어지고 있다. 정상적인 노화과정은 감각(sensory)과 운동 (motor)계의 감퇴 그리고 주의력의 쇠퇴와 연관되어 있는데, 노인들은 이러한 감각(sensory)과 운동(motor)계 (system)의 손상으로 여러 가지 자세(posture)와 보행 (walking)등을 수행하는데 어려움을 겪는다. 또한 노화와 관련된 변화들은 자세를 조절 (postural control) 하는데 있어서 주의력 (attention capacity)을 감소시킨다. 이러한 조건 하에서 노인들은 이중과업 (dual task)을 수행하는데 젊은 사랑들보다도 더 많은 어려움을 느끼며 이는 곧바로 낙상 (falls)의 가능성을 증가시키는 중요한 원인이 되고 있다. 이러한 점들을 고려할 때 낙상(falls)을 방지하기 위한 훈련 프로그램 (training program)은 단순한 신체운동(physical exercise) 보다는 자세조절 (postural control)시의 인지시스템 (cognitive system)이 포함된 중추 통합 기전(central integrative mechanisms)을 최적화 (optimize) 시킬 수 있는 방향으로 구성되어야 한다.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.7
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• pp.193-199
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to provide basic data for the development of fall prevention programs for the elderly and for improvement of quality of life based on history of falls, chronic diseases, location, fear of falling, daily living activities, and quality of life. This study was conducted from 15th August to 17th September of 2016 on 185 elderly subjects above the age of 65 living in four centers of J city and four centers of J rural. The results of this study are as follows: There were no statistically significant differences in daily living activities, fear of falls, and quality of life regarding falls in the past. There were statistically significant differences in fear of falling and quality of life regarding chronic diseases. There were statistically significant differences in daily living activities and quality of life regarding residence. This study confirms that there were relations among daily living activities, fear of falling, and quality of life, and there was a negative correlation between fear of falling and accomplishment of daily living activities(r=-.386, p<.000). There was also a positive correlation between accomplishment of daily living activities and quality of life(r=.513, p<.000). Therefore, avoiding outings on slippery roads and creating safe environments for the elderly are important to reduce fear of falling. Additionally, a system should be developed for the elderly to acquire necessary information for daily life.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.7 no.2
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• pp.41-50
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• 2018

Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the correlation of cognitive function and fall-risk behavioral factors. Methods: The elderly over than 65 year-old with and without cognitive impairment were recruited in four different regional areas. Total 43 data of K-MoCA and FaB were collected. Pearson correlation of total scores of K-MoCA and FaB was analyzed using SPSS 22. Correlation between total score of K-MoCA and each item of FaB which describes the fall-risk behaviors was analyzed as well. Results: The cognitive function was statistically positive correlated with the fall-related behaviors in pearson correlation analysis (p<.01). Nine items of total 30 items of FaB was significantly correlated with total score of K-MoCA. Conclusion: Fall-risk behaviors were decreased as the cognitive level was improved. If the cognitive function was vulnerable, the insight to fall-risk behaviors deficits and various fall-related behavioral factors exits. The high fall-risk behaviors were correlated with cognitive function, so that the cognitive level should be considered in fall prevention intervention in Occupational Therapy.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.6353-6363
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• 2013

This study examined the factors associated with recurrent falls among the community-dwelling elderly. The participants were 329 community-dwelling elderly. The data was collected from February 5, 2010 to February 14, 2010. Over the past 1 year, 14.3% of the 329 participants fall once, and 4.0% experienced recurrent falls. There was a significant difference among the non fallers, single faller and recurrent fallers with regard to the static balance(F=5.86, p=.003), dynamic balance(F=24.32, p<.001), risk of fall(F=9.94, p<.001) and compliance of prevention behavior related to falls(F=3.09, p=.047). The analysis results for the correlation between variables showed that the number of falls had a negative effect on the knee flexors muscular strength(r=-.15, p=.008), static balance(r=-.16, p=.004) and compliance of prevention behavior related to falls(r=-.12, p=.030) and a positive affect for the dynamic balance(r=.26, p<.001), depression(r=.13, p=.019) and risk of falls(r=.30, p<.001). The variables explained 36.0% of the variants in the occurrence of recurrent falls. Therefore, an effective recurrent fall prevention program should focus on multiple risk factor intervention.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.479-489
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• 2017

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with falls among older adults. This cross-sectional study used the data of 10,272 older adults who participating in the Korean Elderly survey, including demographic and health related characteristics. The data were analyzed with complex samples in SPSS ver. 23.0. The results of multiple logistic regression analysis showed that age (OR=1.262, 95%CI 1.111-1.433), education (OR=0.846, 95%CI 0.764-0.937), subjective health status (OR=1.172, 95% CI 1.041-1.320; OR=1.422, 95%CI 1.289-1.570), number of chronic illness (OR=1.438, 95%CI 1.050-1.968), number of medications (OR=0.798, 95%CI 0.659-0.967), muscle strength of low extremities (OR=1.260, 95%CI 1.101-1.441), and fear of falling (OR=3.576, 95%CI 3.166-4.039; OR=14.236, 95%CI 12.637-16.038)were significantly associated with fall accidents in the elderly. Thus, it is necessary to develop fall prevention program to reduce fear of falling and improve health status in the elderly.

• 한국노년학
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• v.39 no.4
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• pp.895-902
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• 2019

This study reviewed the diagnosis accuracy and evaluation criteria of the fall risk assessment questionnaire that proved validity through factor analysis in previous studies. The purpose of this study was to diagnose high-risk groups and propose personal fall risk profiles for the Korean community-dwelling elderly. The participants of this study were 439 elderly people living in S, U, B, and Y cities Korea (mean age 75.0 ± 5.7 years). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was conducted to review the accuracy of the fall risk assessment and evaluation criteria of the FRA. The results showed that the four sub-factors of the FRA: 'Potential for fall', 'Disease and physical symptoms', 'Environment' and 'Physical function', can effectively diagnose the fall risk of the community-dwelling elderly. The evaluation criteria was presented based on the sensitivity and specificity results. In addition, as a result of analyzing the patterns by the sub factors of the fall risk, the high-risk group accounted for 80% of the elderly who had problems with two or more factors. Therefore, the four sub-factors of FRA can effectively diagnose the fall risk level, and could be present individual fall risk profiles based on the evaluation criteria.

• The Journal of Korean society of community based occupational therapy
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• v.5 no.2
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• pp.31-42
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• 2015

Objective : The aim of this study is to prove the effects of mental practice in balance ability of elderly population, and to investigate the possibility of application as an effective intervention method for fall prevention. Methods : This study provided mental practice to 3 subjects over 65 years old who have experienced fall, but do not have cognitive dysfunctions and independent in gait without any use of assistive devices from July to October, 2013. Within the individual case study, 4 sessions of initial baseline process (A), 5 sessions of mental practice (B), 4 sessions of re-initial baseline process (A') were proceeded using ABA design. Independent variable used mental practice for enhancing balance ability and fall efficacy in elderly population, and dependent variable were Berg Balance Scale (BBS) to find out the change in overall balance ability, Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) to see the change in fall efficacy, One-Leg Standing test(OLS), and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG) to determine the changes in both static and dynamic balance. Analysis of the results were provided via mean value and graph. Results : After the application of mental practice method, all of the subjects have shown increase in fall efficacy baseline values, and in addition, overall balance ability and both static and dynamic balances either increased or maintained. Conclusion : This study demonstrated that mental practice has positive effects on fall efficacy improvement and maintenance in elderly, thereby suggesting mental practice for fall prevention in elderly populations.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6242-6249
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the physical performance and fear of falls in the community dwelling elderly and to investigate how the factors were connected to one another. The data was collected between January 3rd and March 30th, 2014 from 460 elderly people, aged 65 or older, who agreed to participate in this study. The data was sampled among the elders' assistants as a way of responding to the questionnaire after being read. The study scales were composed of the demographic characteristics, physical function and fear of falls. A total of 139 (30.2%) subjects had experienced a fall. The results showed a positive correlation with the chair rise, standing on the leg, pick up a penny from floor, timed up and go test, and fear of falls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that a predictor of the fear of falls were chair rise and timed up and go test. A combination of physical performance accounted for 16.9% of the fear of fall. Based on the findings of this study, it is useful to more effectively develop fall prevention and intervention programs in a future study.