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NCT Number: NCT07524361

Taekwondo Program for Preventing Falls in Older Adults

Falls in older adults are a public health crisis, as 30% of older adults fall each year, with a mortality rate of 78%.1 Fall-related healthcare costs are over 50 billion dollars.1 Therefore, preventing older adults from falling is important in both individual and public health aspects by increasing their quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. However, the current fall-prevention exercise programs have a limitation in maintaining exercise adherence behaviors or increasing physical activities once the intervention is completed.2 The theory-based exercise program shows a higher adherence and retention rate.3,4 Taekwondo (TKD), one type of martial arts, can be a potential channel to deliver a theory-based fall prevention exercise program. Therefore, this study aims to test the feasibility of the potential 12 Taekwondo-based fall prevention exercise program for older adults and its preliminary efficacy using a randomized controlled trial.

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This study is active but is not currently recruiting participants.

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Key information

Conditions

Taekwondo-based Fall Prevention Exercise Condition Behavior Fall Prevention Education Control Condition Motor Activity

Age range

55 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Early Phase 1

Primary location

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, 29201, United States

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

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

Inclusion criteria

  • Older adults ages 55 and above
  • Adequate physical ability to perform walking independently
  • Able to use a smartphone app without assistance
  • Capable of providing informed consent
  • Agree to be randomized to the group

Exclusion criteria

  • Plan to have surgery or relocate outside the area within the next 3 months
  • Currently participate in other studies involving physical activity or fall-prevention research studies
  • Frail older adults screened by the FRAIL questionnaire

Treatment and study plan

Fall prevention exercise using Taekwondo

Behavioral

Current fall-prevention exercise programs have a limitation in maintaining exercise adherence behaviors or increasing physical activities once the intervention is completed.2 The theory-based exercise program shows a higher adherence and retention rate.3,4 Taekwondo (TKD), one type of martial arts, can be a potential channel to deliver a theory-based fall prevention exercise program. Therefore, this study aims to test the feasibility of the potential 12 Taekwondo-based fall prevention exercise program for older adults and its preliminary efficacy using RCT.

Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall Prevention

Behavioral

Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall Prevention online education includes three modules. Module1 has three sessions that provide overview of fall prevention such as fall statistics, and preventable risk factors. Module2 has eight sessions that provide tips to ensure the home safety for fall prevention. Module3 has 12 sessions that provide tips for personal safety from nutrition to mental health. Participants will complete this module at their own pace, and report their progress through email or text message each week.

Primary outcomes

  1. Recruitment Feasibility

    Time frame: Post-intervention at week 7.

    The number of participants enrolled in the study per month; The number of participants who provided consent over the eligible participants.

  2. Intervention Satisfaction

    Time frame: Post intervention at week 7

    8-item questionnaire with 7-point Likert (adapted from Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale). The response scale ranges from 1-7, spanning from the lowest degree (=1) to the highest degree (=7).

  3. Perceived feasibility

    Time frame: Post intervention at week 7

    Using 5 points Likert Scale, and the response scale is (1): Completely disagree; (3) Neither agree or disagree; to (5): Completely agree. These items ask about participants' perceived program acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility

  4. Intervention fidelity

    Time frame: Every exercise session

    Fidelity checklist scored by the independent rater

  5. Adherence rate

    Time frame: Post intervention (At Week 7)

    Number of sessions each participant attended / total sessions provided (i.e., 12)

  6. Intention to reparticipate

    Time frame: Post intervention (At Week 7)

    Use 4-item questionnaire with 5-point Likert Scale. The response scale is (1): Strongly disagree; (3) Neither agree or disagree, to Maximum (5): Strongly agree

  7. Adverse event

    Time frame: Anytime during the intervention period

    The number of grade 1 adverse events occurred across all exercise sessions.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Physical function

    Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

    Static and dynamic balance: Balance Error Scoring System (Outcome unit: number of errors occurred) Functional Gait Assessment (Outcome unit: a score ranging from 0-30) Muscle strength: 30-second chair-stand tests (Outcome unit: number of successful trials) Gait speed: Timed-Up and Go (Outcome unit: total time (seconds) to complete the task)

  2. Fear of falling

    Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

    The Falls Efficacy Scale-International - 16 items with 4-point Likert Scale ranging from (1): Not at all concerned to (4): Very concerned.

  3. Activity and Sedentary fragmentation

    Time frame: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

    Activity fragmentation: Transition probability from activity behavior to sedentary behavior every minute. Sedentary fragmentation: Transition probability from sedentary behavior to activity behavior every minute.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of South Carolina

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Evaluating a Taekwondo-based Fall Prevention Exercise Program in Older Adults: a Feasibility Study

Important dates

Study start
2026
Primary completion
2026
Study completion
2026
First posted
Apr 13, 2026
Registry last updated
Apr 13, 2026

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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