Completed Research Projects

Title of the project: Effects of a fall prevention program (best-practice-model) on intrinsic fall risk factors in healthy older adults (>65 years)

Short title: Fall prevention in elderly people

Head of the project: Prof. Dr. Urs Granacher, Division of Training and Movement Sciences, University Potsdam

Project Sponsor:

• bfu – counseling center for accident prevention, Bern, Switzerland (www.bfu.ch)
• cooperation partners: Reto W. Kressig, Akutgeriatrie, Universitätsspital Basel, Switzerland

Research Questions:

What are the effects of fall prevention program developed by experts comprising of strength as well as static and dynamic balance training on balance performance (steady-state, proactive, reactive), strength (hand force, lower limb strength), body composition, cognitive performance, psycho-social wellbeing and self-reported anxiety to fall?

What are the effects of the same fall prevention program realized at home and without supervision, but the same training contents and schedules on the performance in older adults?

What are the detraining effects?

What correlations can be found between clinical and instrumented tests to measure strength and balance performance?

Methodology:

• Design: longitudinal study in a pre-post design and follow-up, N=66
• Participants balance performance, strength, body composition and psycho-social parameters are tested pre and post 12-weeks of training and again after a 12-week follow-up period
• Statistical analysis of the (de-)training effects (group 1: supervised training; group 2: unsupervised home based training; group 3: control)