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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04988334

Improving Capacity to Reduce Fall-Related Injury Risk in Older Adults

Fall Arrest Strategy Training (FAST) is a unique, simple exercise program designed to improve one's ability to prevent injury when a fall is unavoidable. Women are more likely to participate in fall prevention programming than men despite risk of serious fall related injuries such as head injury similar in both men and women. The purpose of this project is to test differences between men and women's physical capacity to control the downward descent of a forward fall and prevent injury and to understand factors that influence participation of women and men in fall prevention programming. A total of 60 seniors (30 men and 30 women) age 60 years or older will do their regular activities for 12 weeks followed by 12 weeks of FAST training. They will be tested before and after for muscle strength, balance and their ability to land and descend in a simulated forward fall using a safe protocol in our lab. Group discussions among women and men after FAST will help us determine facilitators and barriers to exercise participation.

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Key information

Conditions

Fall Injury

Age range

60 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

University of Saskatchewan

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, S7N 2Z4, Canada

About this study

The purpose of this proposed study is to advance our knowledge of this innovative and simple training program, FAST, to determine if it has potential to improve the physical capacity to arrest a fall and reduce injury risk in older community-dwelling women and men. Using our novel lab-based energy absorption and strength measures, we will be able to compare fall-arrest capacity changes in older men and women.This study will also help to inform strategies to engage older men in exercise programming.

Research Goals and Objectives: The principal research questions of this study are:

  • Does the FAST improve fall arrest capacity in older women and men as compared to usual activity (wait control period)?,
  • Does FAST increase arm muscle strength, response time, mobility and balance control compared to usual activity? ,
  • Are there sex differences in fall risk changes, fall arrest capacity, and chance of head impact? and
  • Do men differ from women in their perceptions of the barriers and facilitators to participating in FAST? The hypotheses are that: 1) FAST will result in greater improvements in energy absorption, UE strength, response time and mobility compared to usual activity for both older men and women; however 2) men will demonstrate enhanced fall arrest capacity and 3) will identify unique barriers and facilitators to participation compared to women.

The study is a quasi-experimental pre-post design with a wait list control period where 60 men and women, age 60 years or older will be recruited to participate in FAST.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Adults aged 60 years living in the community

Exclusion criteria

  • recent upper body injury or pain,
  • recent or history of more than one distal radial fracture,
  • history of upper extremity neurological conditions or conditions contradicting upper extremity strength testing or training,
  • signs of severe cognitive impairment identified with the mini-Cog
  • unable to safely ambulate independently in the community

Treatment and study plan

Wait Control

Other

usual activities

Primary outcomes

  1. Muscle strength dynamic

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    concentric and eccentric isokinetic dynamometry

  2. Muscle Strength isometric

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Hand held dynamometry

  3. Muscle Strength isometric

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    grip strength

  4. Muscle strength isometric

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    push off test

  5. response time

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    signal to touch on force plate

  6. Balance

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    one leg stand

  7. Balance

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    tandem stand

  8. Balance

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    modified clinical test of sensory interaction and balancer

  9. Balance Confidence

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Activities balance confidence scale

  10. Fall Risk

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    Fall Risk for older people in the community-screen

  11. timed up and go test

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    stand, walk 3 meters, turn and return to sit

  12. chair stand

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    30-second chair stand test

  13. gait velocity

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    timed 6 meters within 10 meter walk

  14. fall landing capacity

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    energy absorption, force, elbow range of motion

Other outcomes

  1. physical activity

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    physical activity scale for the elderly

  2. fall history

    Time frame: 12 weeks

    questionnaire

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Saskatchewan

Other

Collaborators

  • Saskatchewan Centre for Patient-Oriented Research
  • Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation

Registry information

Acronym: FAST2

Important dates

Study start
2017
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2019
First posted
Aug 3, 2021
Registry last updated
Aug 3, 2021

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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