Quantify Balance Intensity Among Peer-Leader Volunteers Offering Community Exercise Program Aiming to Reduce the Risk of Falls.

The primary objective of this study was to describe the perceived balance intensity among volunteer leaders of a community-based fall prevention exercise program aimed at reducing fall risk in older adults (Zoomers in Balance). The secondary objective was to explore factors associated with the perceived balance intensity among volunteer leaders.

This cross-sectional study included 28 volunteer leaders (mean age 63.3 ± 7.4 years, 96.4% female) from the Zoomers in Balance program who answered an online questionnaire. First, leaders reported the perceived effort for participants to maintain balance in a typical 12-week session using the Balance Intensity Scale: 1- No effort at all, 2- A little effort, 3- Some effort, 4- A lot of effort, 5- Maximal effort. Volunteer leaders also reported their demographics, years of experience delivering the program, previous experience (fitness certification, exercise professionals, or training in fall prevention), and whether most participants displayed one to nine balance intensity markers (1- Hesitation before attempting the exercises, 2- Multiple attempts, 3- Postural reactions, 4- Leg movements or steps, 5- Arm movement, 6- Reaching or grabbing, 7- Holding a body part rigid, 8- Change in breathing pattern, 9- Appearance of unsteadiness; yes/no). Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample, Pearson correlation coefficients were used to examine the associations between the perceived balance intensity (1-5) and continuous variables (1-9), and chi-square was used to examine the associations between perceived balance intensity and categorical variables (yes/no).

Leaders averaged 2.3 ± 0.6 out of five on the balance intensity scale. Leaders observed an average of 0.5 ± 1 out of nine balance intensity markers in their participants, with arm movement (n=4) as the most observed. Two balance intensity markers were associated with a higher perceived balance intensity: change in breathing patterns [x² (3, N=28)=28, p0.001] and appearance of unsteadiness [x² (3, N=28)=10.08, p=0.018]. There was no association between the average perceived balance intensity and leaders’ age, years of experience, and previous training. 

Volunteer leaders in a community-based fall prevention program perceive balance intensity as low, as do the observations related to balance intensity. 

Organizations must provide volunteer peer leaders opportunities to increase their knowledge on challenging balance intensity to enhance participant outcomes. Additionally, future research should validate ways to quantify balance intensity in a group setting to ensure that guidelines are being followed when delivering a community-based exercise fall prevention program.