Article

PURPOSE : 1) To compare the ability of functional mobility and balance assessments
in discriminating fallers from non-fallers and recurrent fallers from those with fewer or no falls.
2) To compare the discriminatory accuracy of cut-off scores
specific to this study sample with that of cut-off scores proposed in the
literature for community-dwelling older adults.
METHODS: In a sample of 39
ambulatory older adults living independently in the community, fallers were
identified on the basis of number of falls in the past year. Seven functional
tests of mobility and balance were used to identify fallers and recurrent fallers
on the basis of their fall history. RESULTS: Discrimination of fallers from
non-fallers was poor: Only a high-level balance assessment significantly
discriminated these groups (p=0.0498, area under the curve [AUC]=0.68). Four
assessments significantly discriminated recurrent fallers from those with fewer
or no falls (ps=0.006-0.009), but their discriminatory powers were not
significantly different from one another (AUCs=0.77-0.80, p>0.05). For two
assessments, cutoff scores based on the study sample enhanced discriminatory
accuracy relative to the literature-based cutoff scores. CONCLUSIONS: To improve
fall prediction for ambulatory community-dwelling older adults, future
prospective studies should consider including high-level mobility and balance
assessments and targeting cutoff scores to the level of function of this
relatively high-functioning population.

Langue : ANGLAIS