Physical activity level and fall risk among community-dwelling older adults.
Sok Teng Low, Thirumalaya Balaraman
PMID 28744029WHAT IT FOUND
Physical activity level did not line up with fall risk in 132 Malaysian older adults. 94.7% had low fall risk, and 50.8% reported under-active regular light-activities.
Activity level alone should not be read as a fall risk signal.
Key findings
01Physical activity level was not associated with fall risk.
0294.7% (125) participants were in the low fall risk category, and 5.3% (7) were in the medium fall risk category.
0350.8% reported under-active regular light-activities, and 12.1% were physically active.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
Participants were recruited by convenience sampling from public places in Selangor and Negeri Sembilan, so they may not represent all Malaysian older adults. Only people who could communicate in English and were independent in daily activities were included, so people with cognitive impairment, communication barriers, or medical conditions limiting activity were not studied. The sample was small and race distribution was unequal, which the authors said limits generalisation. Most participants were in the low fall risk category, so few were in higher risk categories. The study measured activity and fall risk at one time point, so it cannot show whether activity level causes or reduces fall risk.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that physical activity does not help prevent falls. This study was a cross-sectional convenience sample of 132 older adults, most were low fall risk, and it looked for a link at one time point rather than testing whether exercise prevents falls.