Zhongguo Ying Yong Sheng Li Xue Za Zhi · Mar 2020

Study on the incidence, risk assessment and exercise intervention of rural elderly in the border areas of Guangxi

By Liu CM, Wu YZ, Zhou LY

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the risk and incidence of falls among rural Zhuang older adults in a city in the border region of Guangxi and explore the effects of simplified 24-form tai chi combined with muscle strength training, balance training, and safety education on reducing falls in older adults. METHODS: Stratified cluster sampling was used to select 1980 rural older adults aged 60 years or older (840 men and 1140 women) in a city in the border region of Guangxi. Falls during the past 1 year were investigated, and participants' risks were assessed using the assessment form from the Ministry of Health's Technical Guidelines for Fall Interventions in Older Adults and the MORSE (Morse) Fall Risk Assessment Scale; 64 patients who had fallen 2 or more times in 1 year were selected as study participants and divided into a control group and an experimental group (32 in each group). The control group received no exercise intervention and maintained their previous lifestyle habits, while the experimental group undertook 24 weeks of 24-form tai chi combined with muscle strength and balance training. Record cards were used to document falls in both groups during the intervention and half a year after the intervention ended, and these were compared with falls during the 1 year before the intervention. RESULTS: The incidence of falls among the older adults surveyed was 27.1％ in men and 18.6％ in women, with an average incidence of 22.2％; according to the assessment form from the Ministry of Health's Technical Guidelines for Fall Interventions in Older Adults, scores were 7.16 for men and 6.92 for women, with an average score of 7.04, indicating a moderate risk of falls; according to the Morse scale, scores were 37.76 for men and 32.22 for women, with an average score of 35.09, indicating moderate or low risk; after the intervention and half a year after the intervention, the incidence of falls decreased in both groups, with a decrease of 12.5％ in the control group and 69％ in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of falls among older adults in rural border areas of Guangxi is relatively high, and 24 weeks of simplified 24-form tai chi combined with muscle strength and balance training can effectively reduce the incidence of falls in older adults.

doi.org/10.12047/j.cjap.5830.2020.040PubMed 32744016Interventions