Impact of a multifaceted community-based falls prevention program on balance-related psychologic factors.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the impact of a multifaceted falls prevention program including exercise and educational components on perceived balance and balance confidence among community-dwelling seniors.

DESIGN: Quasi-experimental design.

SETTING: Community-based organizations.

PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred community-dwelling adults aged 60 years and over recruited by community-based organizations.

INTERVENTION: A 12-week multifaceted falls prevention program including 3 components (a 1-hour group exercise class held twice a week, a 30-minute home exercise module to be performed at least once a week, a 30-minute educational class held once a week).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Perceived balance and balance confidence.

RESULTS: Multivariate analysis showed that the program was successful in increasing perceived balance in experimental participants. However, balance confidence was not improved by program participation.

CONCLUSIONS: A multifaceted community-based falls prevention program that was successful in improving balance performance among community-dwelling seniors also had a positive impact on perceived balance. However, the program did not improve participants' balance confidence. These results suggest that balance confidence has determinants other than balance and that new components and/or modifications of existing components of the program are required to achieve maximal benefits for seniors in terms of physical and psychologic outcomes.