The Effects of a Muscle Strengthening Program on Fall Prevention in Older Adults in Chiang Mai Province.

Abstract

          Thailand has officially become an aged society, and older adults are at a heightened risk of sarcopenia, a primary contributor to falls, injury, disability, and mortality. Resistance exercise is a critical intervention for fall prevention. Consequently, this study developed the "9 Fun Exercises with a Chair" program to enhance muscle strength and physical performance. To investigate the effects of this program on muscle strength and physical performance among older adults aged 60–69 years. It was hypothesized that the intervention group would demonstrate significantly better outcomes compared to the control group. This quasi-experimental study employed a two-group pre-test and post-test design over an 8-week period. The participants were 80 older adults aged 60–69 years with social engagement, residing in the Chiang Mai province. They were assigned to either an experimental group (n=40) or a control group (n=40) via lottery randomization. The experimental group performed the "9 Fun Exercises with a Chair" program—validated for content validity (IOC ≥ 0.80)—with an increased frequency from 3 to 5 days per week. The control group received basic health education materials. Physical performance was assessed using the 30-Second Chair Stand Test and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test.

             Independent-samples t-test analysis revealed that after 8 weeks, the experimental group exhibited significantly higher muscle strength compared to the control group (18.73 vs. 16.08 repetitions, p < 0.01), despite lower baseline scores. Within-group comparisons using paired-samples t-test indicated that the experimental group achieved significant improvements in muscle strength and a reduction in fall risk (decreased TUG time) (p < 0.001). Conversely, the control group showed a significant decline in muscle strength and an increased fall risk (p < 0.001 and p = 0.008, respectively). The "9 Fun Exercises with a Chair" program effectively improves muscle strength and mitigates fall risk in older adults. Therefore, this program is recommended as a practical community-based intervention to promote physical health and enhance fall prevention strategies among the elderly population.