Roller M1, Ang J1, Aguiar E1, Garcia-Casas M1, Martin N1, De Guia D1, Giannini J1, Geronimo MN1, Hauck E1
1California State University Northridge, Department of Physical Therapy, Northridge, United States
Background: The Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) Bone Builders exercise class was created in New York in 1999 based on research at Tufts University and brought to Ventura County, California in 2008. There are currently 20 locations that provide this community-based group program consisting of progressive resistance training and balance exercises at no cost to senior participants with federal support from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The health benefits of this program have not yet been investigated.
Purpose: To examine the effect of the RSVP Bone Builders exercise program on several intrinsic fall risk factors including weakness, gait and balance problems, and fear of falling, measures of fall risk, and life satisfaction in an older adult population.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study design. Subjects included 29 adults age 60 years and older who were able to walk independently in the community with or without an assistive device, were cognitively intact, and had no known medical condition that would limit participation. Subjects participated in RSVP Bone Builders exercise classes for 1 hour, 2 times per week for 12 weeks in Ventura County, California, USA. Pre- and post-intervention scores were collected using the following outcome measures: gait speed and dynamic balance as measured by the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) and Timed Up and Go test (TUG), leg strength measured by the Five Time Sit To Stand Test (FTSST), balance abilities measured by the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), Adaptation Test (ADT), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), balance confidence (fear of falling) measured by the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, and life satisfaction measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Fall risk was determined by known cut-off scores on the TUG, FTSST, SOT, BBS, and ABC Scale. Data were analyzed using an intention to treat analysis. A Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to determine normal distribution for each outcome measure during pre- and post-testing. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to analyze nonparametric data, and a Paired T-Test was used for parametric data with alpha set at p 0.05.
Results: Statistically significant improvement was found for the 10MWT (p=.004) and TUG (p=.002) indicating improved gait speed and dynamic balance, ABC Scale (p=0.012) indicating greater balance confidence (reduced fear of falling), and the SWLS (p=.027) indicating enhanced life satisfaction. Change scores on these outcome measures indicated decreased fall risk. Scores on the FTSST, SOT, ADT, and BBS remained essentially unchanged (p>0.05).
Conclusion(s): Participating in the RSVP Bone Builders exercise program for 12 weeks resulted in statistically significant improvements in intrinsic fall risk factors including gait speed, dynamic balance and balance confidence, and in life satisfaction. The risk of falling was reduced in this population.
Implications: The RSVP Bone Builders exercise program has the potential to significantly enrich the lives of community dwelling older adults by improving gait and dynamic balance skills, increasing balance confidence, decreasing fall risk and improving life satisfaction. It is a worthy program for physicians and therapists to consider when referring older adults for exercise.
Keywords: Older Adults, Exercise, Fall Risk
Funding acknowledgements: Intramural funding for this study was provided by the California State University Northridge Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
Purpose: To examine the effect of the RSVP Bone Builders exercise program on several intrinsic fall risk factors including weakness, gait and balance problems, and fear of falling, measures of fall risk, and life satisfaction in an older adult population.
Methods: This was a quasi-experimental study design. Subjects included 29 adults age 60 years and older who were able to walk independently in the community with or without an assistive device, were cognitively intact, and had no known medical condition that would limit participation. Subjects participated in RSVP Bone Builders exercise classes for 1 hour, 2 times per week for 12 weeks in Ventura County, California, USA. Pre- and post-intervention scores were collected using the following outcome measures: gait speed and dynamic balance as measured by the 10 Meter Walk Test (10MWT) and Timed Up and Go test (TUG), leg strength measured by the Five Time Sit To Stand Test (FTSST), balance abilities measured by the Sensory Organization Test (SOT), Adaptation Test (ADT), and Berg Balance Scale (BBS), balance confidence (fear of falling) measured by the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale, and life satisfaction measured by the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Fall risk was determined by known cut-off scores on the TUG, FTSST, SOT, BBS, and ABC Scale. Data were analyzed using an intention to treat analysis. A Shapiro-Wilk test was performed to determine normal distribution for each outcome measure during pre- and post-testing. A Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test was used to analyze nonparametric data, and a Paired T-Test was used for parametric data with alpha set at p 0.05.
Results: Statistically significant improvement was found for the 10MWT (p=.004) and TUG (p=.002) indicating improved gait speed and dynamic balance, ABC Scale (p=0.012) indicating greater balance confidence (reduced fear of falling), and the SWLS (p=.027) indicating enhanced life satisfaction. Change scores on these outcome measures indicated decreased fall risk. Scores on the FTSST, SOT, ADT, and BBS remained essentially unchanged (p>0.05).
Conclusion(s): Participating in the RSVP Bone Builders exercise program for 12 weeks resulted in statistically significant improvements in intrinsic fall risk factors including gait speed, dynamic balance and balance confidence, and in life satisfaction. The risk of falling was reduced in this population.
Implications: The RSVP Bone Builders exercise program has the potential to significantly enrich the lives of community dwelling older adults by improving gait and dynamic balance skills, increasing balance confidence, decreasing fall risk and improving life satisfaction. It is a worthy program for physicians and therapists to consider when referring older adults for exercise.
Keywords: Older Adults, Exercise, Fall Risk
Funding acknowledgements: Intramural funding for this study was provided by the California State University Northridge Office of Research and Graduate Studies.
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing; Older people
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: California State University, Northridge
Ethics committee: Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects
Ethics number: 1516-091
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
