FITNESS-RELATED FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLING IN OLDER WOMEN / 体力科学

ABSTRACT

Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to conduct a 5-year follow-up on the effect of physical fitness on falling in older women. Methods: Thirty-nine older women (79.9±3.7 years old) living at home volunteered to participate as subjects. Walking speeds, muscular strength, flexibility, agility and balance were measured. For the following five years, we checked their record of falling accidents. The subjects were classified into two groups the faller group (n=14) with at least one or more experiences of falling accidents in the past five years, and the non-faller (n=23). Results and Discussion: The physical fitness of the faller group was compared with that of the non-faller group five years ago. Normal and fast walking speeds in the faller group were significantly slower than those in the non-faller. In the faller group more members had reduced muscular strength and range of motion than in the non-faller. The reaction time in the faller group was significantly slower than in the non-faller. Falling accidents occurred easily because subjects' trunk and hip flexibility had become limited, and the delay in reaction time meant they couldn't recover as quickly from their loss of balance. Conclusions: From these results, it was suggested that functional decline in flexibility as well as agility and muscular strength would greatly affect falling in older women.