Thinking and Acting in a New Way: Influences of a Falls-Prevention Program on Participants' Everyday Life

In Sweden, a new type of program called ”Active lifestyle all your life” has been developed in primary care. It is a multidisciplinary program aimed at the decrease of accidental falls and at promotion of the health benefits of staying engaged in valued occupations. As one part of the evaluation of this program, this study aimed to explore and understand if, and how, participating in the program influenced each individual's everyday life narratives. Data was collected using a narrative approach with repeated interviews focusing on participation and engagement in valued occupations in the context of accidental fall. Thematic analysis showed that increased awareness related to new ways of thinking and acting among the informants was the over aching theme concerning how the program influenced their everyday life. This increased awareness was experienced as going beyond the cognitive understanding leading to a behavior change and new habits.