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Objective To predict the risk of falls, Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) system has been newly developed to measure multi-systemic balance control among community-dwelling older adults. The aim of this study was to examine the association between FRA and fall-related physical performance tests. Methods A total of 289 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years and older participated in this cross-sectional study. All participants underwent FRA test and physical performance tests such as Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and Timed Up and Go Test (TUG). Results Participants who were younger, male, highly educated, living with family members, having high body mass index, having high appendicular lean mass index, and having no irritative lower urinary tract syndrome were more likely to have higher FRA scores. SPPB (β=1.012), BBS (β=0.481), and TUG (β=-0.831) were significantly associated with FRA score after adjusting for the variables (all p

Background : Accurate measurement of the frequency of falls is challenging because falls can only be self-reported. We hypothesized that quarterly surveys over a year would be superior to a 1-time annual survey for older adults to recall the number of falls they experienced more accurately. Methods : We recruited 317 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older at a senior welfare center in Seoul, Korea. Older adults without cognitive deficit were included for follow-up. All eligible participants were surveyed via telephone every 3 months over 1-year period by trained investigators and asked to recall their total number of falls over the last 1 year at the end of the study. Results : Two hundred forty-seven participants completed all follow-ups, and 58 of them reported at least 1 fall per year. Twenty-nine participants recalled the same number of falls in 4 quarterly surveys and 1-year survey and the other 29 participants recalled differently. Participants who fell more than once (16, 55.2%) had a higher recall discrepancy than those who fell only once (11, 37.9%) according to the sum of quarterly surveys. Among 58 fallers, 56 reported falling in quarterly surveys, and 47 reported falling in the 1-year survey, indicating an approximately 19% reduction in the rate of recall in the 1-year survey. Conclusion : Repeated surveys with a shorter recall period of 3 months or less may yield a more accurate measurement of falls than a survey with a recall period of 1 year.

Background/Objectives: Balance is the ability to stabilize the body and maintain static and dynamic posture control, and failure to maintain balance increases the risk of falls; therefore, evaluating balance ability has been used to predict the risk of falling. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of tracking moving target test with center of gravity(COG) as a predictive factor of falls. Methods: This study was conducted at an elderly welfare center in Seoul and the participants were aged 65 years or older. Success rate in tracking moving target was measured by using a newly developed Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) device (InBody Co®) and fall rates for 6 months were evaluated by telephone survey. Results: In the univariate analysis, the proportion of subjects experiencing falls was significantly lower with increasing success rate in tracking moving target in the left-right and diagonal B directions (p=0.0017, p=0.0203, respectively). In the left-right direction, relative to quartile 1 of success rate in tracking moving target, adjusted ORs of falling for the six-months for quartiles 2, 3, and 4 decreased to 0.36, 0.28, and 0.11, respectively (p=0.015). Conclusions: Success rate in tracking moving target in the diagonal B directions was not a significant predictor of falling after controlling the confounding variables of age, sex, current smoking status, alcohol drinking, physical activity, BMI, and histories of falling and chronic diseases, and sleeping disorders. Therefore, success rate in tracking moving target in the left-right direction well predicted a lower six-month fall rate. This demonstrates the potential efficacy of tracking moving target test in the left-right direction as a predictive factor for fall risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Balance is the ability to stabilize the body and maintain static and dynamic posture control, and failure to maintain balance increases the risk of falls; therefore, evaluating balance ability has been used to predict the risk of falling. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of tracking moving target test with center of gravity(COG) as a predictive factor of falls. Methods: This study was conducted at an elderly welfare center in Seoul and the participants were aged 65 years or older. Success rate in tracking moving target was measured by using a newly developed Fall Risk Assessment (FRA) device (InBody Co®) and fall rates for 6 months were evaluated by telephone survey. Results: In the univariate analysis, the proportion of subjects experiencing falls was significantly lower with increasing success rate in tracking moving target in the left-right and diagonal B directions (p=0.0017, p=0.0203, respectively). In the left-right direction, relative to quartile 1 of success rate in tracking moving target, adjusted ORs of falling for the six-months for quartiles 2, 3, and 4 decreased to 0.36, 0.28, and 0.11, respectively (p=0.015). Conclusions: Success rate in tracking moving target in the diagonal B directions was not a significant predictor of falling after controlling the confounding variables of age, sex, current smoking status, alcohol drinking, physical activity, BMI, and histories of falling and chronic diseases, and sleeping disorders. Therefore, success rate in tracking moving target in the left-right direction well predicted a lower six-month fall rate. This demonstrates the potential efficacy of tracking moving target test in the left-right direction as a predictive factor for fall risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]