This paper is in the following e-collection/theme issue:

TTRN CPH 2022: "Digital Health beyond COVID-19: Lessons Learned" (37)

Published on in Vol 8, No 1 (2022): Jan-Dec

Preprints (earlier versions) of this paper are available at https://preprints.jmir.org/preprint/41105, first published .
A Combination of Web-based and In-Person Training Reduced Fall Accidents in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Combination of Web-based and In-Person Training Reduced Fall Accidents in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

A Combination of Web-based and In-Person Training Reduced Fall Accidents in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Authors of this article:

Mikkel Jacobi Thomsen1 ;   Matthew Liston2 ;   Merete Grothe Christensen3 ;   Peter Vestergaard3 ;   Rogerio Hirata1
Article Authors Cited by (2) Tweetations Metrics

    Abstract

    1Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg Univeristy, Aalborg, Denmark

    2The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, London, United Kingdom

    3Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark

    Corresponding Author:

    Rogerio Hirata, PhD

    Department of Health Science and Technology

    Faculty of Medicine

    Aalborg Univeristy

    Fredrik Bajers Vej 7D

    Aalborg, 9220

    Denmark

    Phone: 45 4531423258

    Email: rirata@hst.aau.dk


    Background: Fall accidents in older adults are associated with reduced quality of life, personal health issues, and earlier deaths. Previous studies have found that both physical and cognitive parameters influence the risk of falling in older adults. During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown (2020-2021) in Denmark, web-based training was the safest option for training, although its effectiveness was uncertain.

    Objective: The purpose of this stratified, block randomized trial was to examine the effect of two types of web-based and in-person training—salsa dance and regular fitness circuit—in two training groups in comparison with a control group.

    Methods: A total of 78 older adults (9 male and 69 female; mean age 70.4, SD 4.4 years; mean height 165.2, SD 6.8 cm; and mean weight 65.7, SD 11.9 kg) completed the 6-months training period: dance (n=25), fitness (n=23), and control group (n=30). Accidental falls were registered during the follow-up test. Participants in the two training groups were assigned to 1-hour training sessions twice a week for 6 months. Prior to the pandemic, training was administered by a skilled instructor at an activity center in the municipality or a dance studio. Following the pandemic, dance training was administered through a web-based meeting platform, whereas fitness training was guided by a video. Adherence to the training was collected weekly. Participants in the control group were encouraged to continue their everyday life.

    Results: Both intervention groups had fewer accidental falls during the 6 months intervention compared with the control group (control group: 9 falls; dance: 4 falls, fitness: 0 falls; chi-square: P<.05). In total, adherence to fitness training was 72.6%, and it was 86.9% for dance. However, adherence to the web-based dance training was 95% (342 dance training hours of possible 360 dance training hours).

    Conclusions: A combination of a 6-months web-based and in-person training (for dance and fitness) reduced the number of accidental falls in older adults.

    Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03683849; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03683849

    iproc 2022;8(1):e41105

    doi:10.2196/41105

    Keywords

    falls; older adults; training; dance; web-based training 

    Conflicts of Interest

    None declared.

    Edited by B Dinesen; This is a non–peer-reviewed article. submitted 15.07.22; accepted 19.08.22; published 24.08.22

    Copyright

    ©Mikkel Jacobi Thomsen, Matthew Liston, Merete Grothe Christensen, Peter Vestergaard, Rogerio Hirata. Originally published in Iproceedings (https://www.iproc.org), 24.08.2022.

    This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work, first published in Iproceedings, is properly cited. The complete bibliographic information, a link to the original publication on https://www.iproc.org/, as well as this copyright and license information must be included.