Table 1.
Baseline characteristics of women aged 75-85 who took part in two year balance training programme for prevention of fall induced injuries (intervention) or no such programme (control). Figures are means (SD) unless stated otherwise
| Control (n=354) | Intervention (n=352) | |
|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 79.6 (2.8) | 79.8 (2. 8) |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 27.0 (4.6) | 27.1 (4.6) |
| No (%) who fell at least once in past year | 159 (45) | 137 (39) |
| No (%) who used psychotropic drugs | 140 (40) | 149 (42) |
| No (%) who lived alone | 230 (65) | 248 (71) |
| No (%) who finished high school (baccalaureate) | 131 (38) | 151 (44) |
| Visual acuity* | 6.9 (2.2) | 6.9 (2.1) |
| Timed get up and go (s) | 12.4 (3.1) | 12.4 (2.7) |
| Time to walk 6 m (s) | 7.5 (1.7) | 7.4 (1.7) |
| No (%) unable to do four tandem steps | 83 (24) | 79 (22) |
| Time for the five chair stands (s) | 15.5 (4.6) | 15.5 (4.4) |
| Time spent walking for casual activities† (h/week) | 3.1 (2.4) | 2.8 (2.3) |
| Median time (h/week) spent walking for exercise (IQR) | 0.75 (0-3.3) | 0 (0-3.4) |
| Median time (h/week) spent doing physical leisure activities‡ (IQR) | 1.5 (0-3.5) | 1.0 (0-3.4) |
| Fear of falling score§ | 26.0 (7.0) | 25.5 (7.1) |
| Physical functioning score | 57.5 (20.7) | 59.4 (21.6) |
| General health score¶ | 54.7 (16.0) | 57.0 (15.8) |
| Psychological health score¶ | 60.7 (18.2) | 61.3 (18.1) |
| Vitality score¶ | 46.6 (16.1) | 48.44 (16.3) |
IQR=interquartile range.
*Measured at distance of 3 m with Snellen letter test chart (decimal scale).
†Such as walking to general practitioner, pharmacy or store
‡Walking, swimming, dancing, gym classes, gardening, biking, and yoga.
§Based on the fall efficacy scale (FES-I). Score range16-64; higher score corresponds to more important concern about falling.21
¶Based on SF-36 questionnaire. Score range 0-100; higher scores corresponds to less disability and better health.17