The Effectiveness of a Fall Prevention Program with Participation of Family on Fall Prevention Behavior for Older Adults Living in the Community

Abstract

Falls in older adults are a major problem affecting the well-being of older adults. Preventing falls can reduce incidence and severity of falls and injuries. This quasi-experimental research using a two-group, pretest-posttest design, aimed to compare fall prevention behaviors in older adults in relation to the involvement of their families. The subjects were older adults who were specifically selected from the Ban Pho Sub-district, Mueang District, Trang Province. The study involved 46 participants who were divided into two groups: an experimental group of 23 individuals who received a fall prevention program with family involvement, and a control group of 23 individuals who followed their regular routine care. The research instruments consisted of the following: 1) the fall prevention program with family involvement that applied Health Belief Model theory, 2) a personal data questionnaire, and 3) a fall prevention behavior assessment for older adults in the community. Three qualified experts verified their content validity indexes of 0.98. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient of the fall prevention behavior assessment was 0.82. Data were analyzed using percentages, means, standard deviations, and paired t-test statistics.

The majority of the sample group were female (87%), with no problems with walking or balancing (87%). The control and experimental groups had an average age of 66 and 65 years, respectively, and had no differences in general characteristics. The mean difference in fall prevention behavior scores before and after the experiment were 0.81 (Mean=0.81, SD.=.620) and 1.94 (Mean=1.94, SD=.059), respectively. After the completion of the program, the mean values for fall prevention behavior among the older adults in the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<.01) and they had significantly higher mean scores than before receiving the program (p<.01). In conclusion, the fall prevention programs for the older adults with the involvement of families helped increase fall prevention behavior. Therefore, families, caregivers, and relevant organizations responsible for older individuals in communities should implement fall prevention programs with the involvement of families. The program aimed to raise awareness about risk factors, severity, and preventive measures against falls. This effort could contribute to preserving older adults 's overall well-being.