Article

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a comprehensive geriatric assessment and
individually tailored intervention on mobility in older people. In addition, the
effectiveness of the geriatric intervention was evaluated among a subgroup of
persons with musculoskeletal pain. DESIGN: Three-year geriatric development
project with randomized assignment to intervention and control group. SETTING:
Research centre, community and assisted living facilities. PARTICIPANTS: Seven
hundred and eighty-one Finnish persons aged 75-98 years were assigned to an
intervention (n = 404) or control (n = 377) group. INTERVENTION: A comprehensive
geriatric assessment with a multifactorial intervention lasting two years. The
intervention included individualized referrals, recommendations, physical
activity counselling and supervised resistance training. MEASUREMENTS: Perceived
limitation in walking 400m was gathered annually during the intervention and at
the one-year post-intervention follow-up. RESULTS: The proportion of persons with
mobility limitation at the beginning, at the two-year intervention and at the
one-year post-intervention follow-up was 16%, 15%, 12% and 14%, respectively, in
the intervention group. In the control group, the corresponding proportions were
19%, 18%, 23% and 26%. The treatment effect was significant at the end of the
two-year intervention (odds ratio 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.70-0.96, P =
0.013), and at the one-year post-intervention follow-up (0.84, 0.75-0.94, P =
0.002). The parallel positive effect of the intervention on mobility was even
greater among persons with musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSION: The comprehensive
geriatric assessment and individually tailored multifactorial intervention had a
positive effect on mobility, underlining their importance in health promotion and
disability prevention in older people.

Langue : ANGLAIS