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Inj Prev 2009;15:248-251 doi:10.1136/ip.2008.020420
  • Original Article

Effectiveness of a community-based multifaceted fall-prevention intervention in active and independent older Chinese adults

This article has been UnlockedFree via Creative Commons: OPEN ACCESS
  1. Q H Xia1,
  2. Y Jiang1,
  3. C J Niu1,
  4. C X Tang1,
  5. Z L Xia2
  1. 1
    Changning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shanghai, China
  2. 2
    Fundan University, Shanghai, China
  1. Dr Q H Xia, Changning Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 39 Yun Wushan Road, Shanghai 200051, China; xiaqinghua56{at}126.com
  • Accepted 15 April 2009

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an 18-month multifaceted intervention designed to reduce the incidence of falls in community-living older adults in China.

Methods: A population-based community trial evaluated by before-and-after cross-sectional surveys. Four residential communities were randomised to either a multifaceted intervention or a control condition. Baseline information was collected from a sample of older adults in each community. A 1-year annual fall rate was calculated after an 18-month comprehensive intervention.

Results: After intervention, 7.19% of the intervention community sample reported falls, compared with 17.86% of the control community sample (p<0.000). The annual fall rate decreased by 10.52% in the intervention communities, whereas the difference in control communities was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: Multifaceted interventions in community settings may be useful in preventing falls among older people, and can be applied in similar settings in China.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

  • Funding: The project is funded by the Health Bureau of Changning District, Shanghai.

  • Contributors: QHX, the principal investigator, put forward the study concept, designed the study and was the main contributor in manuscript preparation. YJ assisted in data analysis and interpretation and manuscript preparation. CJN and CXT assisted in data collection and implementation of the intervention procedure. ZLX acted as a consultant, giving professional advice on the study.

  • Ethics approval: There was no ethics board available to us but our research protocol was conducted according to the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki.

  • Patient consent: Obtained.

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