Objectives: To examine the effect of a fall prevention program offered under real-world conditions on balance maintenance several months after the program. To explore the program's impact on falls.
Method: A quasi-experimental study was conducted among community-dwelling seniors, with pre- and postintervention measures of balance performance and self-reported falls. Ten community-based organizations offered the intervention (98 participants) and 7 recruited participants to the study's control arm (102 participants). An earlier study examined balance immediately after the 12-week program. The present study focuses on the 12-month effect. Linear regression (balance) and negative binomial regression (falls) procedures were performed.falls.
Results: During the 12-month study period, experimental participants improved and maintained their balance as reflected by their scores on three performance tests. There was no evidence of an effect on falls.falls.
Discussion: Structured group exercise programs offered in community-based settings can maintain selected components of balance for several months after the program's end.