Physical Activity Level and Risk of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Physical Activity Level and Risk of Falling in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Aging Phys Act. 2018 Mar 15;:1-28 Authors: Soares WJS, Lopes AD, Nogueira E, Candido V, Moraes SA, Perracini MR Abstract This systematic review examines the association between physical activity (PA) level and risk of falling in community-dwelling older adults. A search of PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Sport Discus, and Web of Science was performed in January 2017. Four prospective cohort studies investigating the incidence of falls in a period of at least 12 months and its association with the level of PA in people 60-plus years old were reviewed and pooled for meta-analysis. The pooled risk ratio for being a recurrent faller (2,420 participants) was 39% higher among those who were in the lowest PA level (RR = 1.39 95% CI [1.17 - 1.65]; I2 = 0%, p = 0.43; p < 0.001). The association between being a faller (7,927 participants) and PA level was inconclusive. This review identified that the benefit of general physical activity for preventing falls is associated with the adopted PA level. PMID: 29543113 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Journal of Aging and Physical Activity - Category: Geriatrics Tags: J Aging Phys Act Source Type: research