The Relationship Between Physical Function and Falls in Frail Elderly People
The Relationship Between Physical Function and Falls in Frail Elderly People
Tomoyuki Arai
(Department of Physical Therapy Faculty of Health and Medical Care, Saitama Medical University) Yoshitaka Shiba
(School of Allied Health Sciences Department of Rehabilitation, Kitasato University) Satoshi Tunoda
(Chigasaki Tokusyukai General Hospital) Shuichiro Watanabe
(Graduate School of Gerontology, J. F. Oberlin University) Hiroshi Shibata
(Graduate School for University of Human Arts and Sciences)
Key Words: stride time variability, frail elderly, fall
The purpose of this research was to examine the relation between motor ability and falls in frail elderly people.
The subjects were 50 frail elderly people (age, 75.7 ± 6.9 years [mean ± standard deviation]) with an instrumental activity of daily living (IADL) limitation. IADL limitation was defined as having a disability in 1 of the 5 IADL subscales of the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology (TMIG) index. Based on their history of falls over the past 1 year, the subjects were divided into the following 2 groups: fallers (n = 18) and non-fallers (n = 32). Stride time variability, maximum walking velocity, timed up and go' test scores, functional reach test scores, one-leg stance stability, knee extension power, and grip strength were measured to evaluate motor ability. Stride time variability was significantly greater in the frail elderly fallers than in the non-fallers. All other physical functions of the frail elderly fallers were similar to those of the non-fallers. Therefore, stride time variability may be useful in assessing fall risk in the frail elderly people.
