The effect of physical fitness on the risk of falls among elderly

1994 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

• Project/Area Number: 05670347
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for General Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Research Field: Public health/Health science
• Research Institution: Tottori University Faculty of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: OHSHIRO Hitoshi Tottori University Faculty of Medicine Public Health Associate Professor, 医学部, 助教授 (40160486)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): IWAI Nobuo Tottori University Faculty of Medicine Public Health Research Assistant, 医学部, 助手 (80191906) ; KUROZAWA Youichi Tottori University Faculty of Medicine Public Health Lecturer, 医学部, 講師 (50161790)
• Project Period (FY): 1993 – 1994
• Keywords: Fall / Fracture / Physical fitness / Postural sway

Research Abstract

The effects of physical fitness on the risk of falls among elderly.
We investigated the relationship between physical fitness and the risk of falls.
1. Magnitude of the postural sway, during 20 seconds standing with closed eye, of 825 residents in Kisuki town in Simane prefecture were measured. There is strong correlation between the magnitude of postural sway and age. Elder people tend to have large variety in the length of the movement of the center of the gravity of their body.
2. The relationship between postural sway and the incidence of falls among 278 people in Izumo city were studied. After one year of observation, 53 falls were identified. Fallers have larger postural away thsn the non-fallers (37.9cm versus 35.3cm).
3. Physical fitness of 188 residents in Aimi town, Tottori prefecture, were evaluated. Grip strength, Walking speed, muscle strength (M.triceps brachii, M.quadriceps femoris) and visual acuity were correlated with age. After adjusting by variables, grip strength, walking speed and visual acuity remained in the model in multiple regression analysis.