Table 2.
Sample characteristics
| Characteristics | Total (n = 405) | Experimental group (n = 166) | Reference group (n = 158) | Control group (n = 81) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years, mean (SD) | 79 (7.0) | 79 (7.0) | 79 (6.6) | 80 (7.6) |
| Sex, n (%) | ||||
| Male | 106 (26) | 47 (28) | 41 (26) | 18 (22) |
| Female | 299 (74) | 119 (72) | 117 (74) | 63 (78) |
| Body mass index, mean (SD)a | 26 (4.8) | 26 (4.8) | 25 (4.9) | 25 (4.6) |
| Living situation, n (%) | ||||
| Alone | 216 (53) | 82 (49) | 88 (56) | 46 (57) |
| Couple | 158 (39) | 74 (45) | 54 (34) | 30 (37) |
| With family members other than spouse | 13 (3.2) | 4 (2.4) | 6 (3.8) | 3 (3.7) |
| Sheltered apartment | 3 (0.74) | 2 (1.2) | 1 (0.63) | 0 (0.00) |
| Urban or rural, n (%) | ||||
| Rural | 318 (79) | 129 (78) | 125 (79) | 64 (79) |
| Urban | 87 (21) | 37 (22) | 33 (21) | 17 (21) |
| Self-reported neurological disease, n (%) | 60 (15) | 27 (16) | 21 (13) | 12 (15) |
| Self-reported musculoskeletal disease, n (%) | 335 (83) | 146 (88) | 125 (79) | 64 (79) |
| Self-reported urinary incontinence, n (%) | 124 (31) | 60 (36) | 40 (25) | 24 (30) |
| Self-reported vision impairment, n (%) | 323 (80) | 132 (80) | 129 (82) | 62 (77) |
| Mini-Mental State Examination, mean (SD)b | 28 (1.7) | 28 (1.7) | 28 (1.7) | 28 (1.7) |
| Number of medications, mean (SD) | 3.9 (3.2) | 4.3 (3.4) | 3.6 (2.9) | 3.6 (3.1) |
| Walking aids, n (%) | 196 (48) | 80 (48) | 77 (49) | 39 (48) |
| Fear of falling, n (%) | ||||
| Never | 81 (20) | 33 (20) | 29 (18) | 19 (23) |
| Sometimes | 281 (69) | 120 (72) | 112 (71) | 49 (60) |
| Always | 43 (11) | 13 (7.8) | 17 (11) | 13 (16) |
| Fallen in the last past 12 months, n (%) | ||||
| No | 138 (34) | 60 (36) | 49 (31) | 29 (36) |
| Yes | 267 (66) | 106 (64) | 109 (69) | 52 (64) |
| Number of falls in past 12 months, mean (SD) | 1.4 (2.2) | 1.3 (1.5) | 1.6 (3.1) | 1.2 (1.2) |
| Injurious falls in past 12 months, n (%) | ||||
| No injury | 68 (17) | 27 (16) | 26 (16) | 15 (19) |
| Light injury (< 3 days) | 53 (13) | 19 (11) | 20 (13) | 14 (17) |
| Moderate injury (medical consultation) | 50 (12) | 19 (11) | 24 (15) | 7 (8.6) |
| Severe injury (emergency consultation or hospital) | 96 (24) | 41 (25) | 39 (25) | 16 (20) |
| Fall Risk Category (STEADI CDC)c, n (%) | ||||
| Low | 64 (16) | 23 (14) | 29 (18) | 12 (15) |
| Moderate | 146 (36) | 63 (38) | 51 (32) | 32 (40) |
| High | 195 (48) | 80 (48) | 78 (49) | 37 (46) |
aWeight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared
bMini-Mental State Examination score range from 0 (worst) to 30 (best); scores of 24–30 are considered unimpaired
cSTEADI CDC indicates Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention