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Effects of the Otago exercise program on falls, balance, and physical performance in older nursing home residents with high fall risk: a randomized controlled trial

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Key summary points

AbstractSection Aim

This study evaluated the effects of Otago exercises on falls, balance, and physical performance in older adults with high falls risk living in a nursing home.

AbstractSection Findings

The Otago exercise group showed a significantly greater reduction in number of falls at the end of the 3-month intervention compared to the walking group.

AbstractSection Message

The Otago exercise program may have a role in the prevention of falls in older persons.

Abstract

Purpose

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Otago exercises on falls, balance, and physical performance in old-aged adults with high fall risk living in a nursing home.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial included 72 individuals over 65 years of age residing in a single nursing home in Izmir, Turkey. The participants were randomized into the Otago exercise group and walking (control) group. The Otago group performed 45 min of Otago exercises 3 days/week for 12 weeks plus a walking program on 3 other days of the week. The control group did only the walking program (minimum of 30 min 3 days/week). Number of falls, Berg Balance Scale (BBS), 30-s Chair Stand Test (30 s-CST), and 6-min Walk Test (6MWT) were assessed before the intervention and at the end of the 3-month intervention. The primary outcome was number of falls.

Results

The groups were well matched in terms of age (74.6 ± 5.9 vs. 75.8 ± 4.5) and sex (p > 0.05). The Otago group showed a significantly greater reduction in number of falls at the end of the intervention (p < 0.05). Of the secondary outcomes, the Otago group had greater median increases in BBS score (p < 0.05) and 30 s-CST score (p < 0.05) post-intervention compared to the walking group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of post-intervention change in 6MWT distance (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

The Otago exercise program improved balance and physical performance and reduced falls in our sample and may be effective in falls prevention interventions for old-aged nursing home residents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran

    Parinaz Jahanpeyma

  2. Division of Geriatrics, Department of Internal Medicine, Ege University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey

    Fatma Özge Kayhan Koçak & Sevnaz Şahin

  3. Internal Medical Nursing, Ege University Faculty of Nursing, Izmir, Turkey

    Yasemin Yıldırım & Fisun Şenuzun Aykar

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  1. Parinaz Jahanpeyma
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  4. Sevnaz Şahin
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  5. Fisun Şenuzun Aykar
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Correspondence to Parinaz Jahanpeyma.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

The study protocol was approved by the ethics committee of Ege University Faculty of Medicine (Number 70198063-050.06.04). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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All of the patients were informed of the study protocols in detail and provided their informed written consent.

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Jahanpeyma, P., Kayhan Koçak, F., Yıldırım, Y. et al. Effects of the Otago exercise program on falls, balance, and physical performance in older nursing home residents with high fall risk: a randomized controlled trial. Eur Geriatr Med 12, 107–115 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41999-020-00403-1

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