Researchers at University of California San Diego have revealed promising results from a study evaluating the university’s “Strong Foundations” program, a digitally delivered fall prevention initiative for older adults. The findings, recently published in JMIR-Aging, emphasize the program’s effectiveness in improving posture, balance and strength – key factors in reducing fall risk.

This study showcases the potential of accessible, online exercise programs to significantly enhance physical function for older adults. Online delivery of exercise interventions offers some exciting and enticing prospects, as not only can this platform eliminate barriers related to difficulty with transportation and concerns about participating in conventional gym environments, it can also bring highly qualified experts to individuals who are most in need, and do so safely.”

Ryan Moran, M.D., M.P.H., associate clinical professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine

Falls are the leading cause of accidental death and mobility-related disability among older adults, with 1 in 4 individuals over age 65 experiencing a fall annually. These risks are exacerbated in rural areas, where access to traditional exercise facilities is limited. The Strong Foundations program addresses these challenges by providing a safe, structured exercise regimen accessible from participants’ homes.

The once weekly (60 minutes),12-week online program combines postural alignment, balance exercises and strength training. One of the novel features of the program is the delivery of semi-individualized instruction in real time within a small group setting. Semi-individualized instruction is attention given to an individual within the group course designed to correct exercise form.

Using a quasi-experimental design, the study included 92 participants – aged 60 and older – who were stratified by fall risk level using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths and Injuries (STEADI) questionnaire. A total of 55 low risk and 37 moderate risk participants were recruited. Both low- and moderate-risk groups showed improvements in posture (up to 36% for measures like Occiput to Wall Distance – a measurement used to screen for excessive outward curvature of the spine), physical strength (as indicated by the Chair Stand – the movement of sitting down on a chair and then standing back up), and other metrics. Notably, older adults at moderate fall risk experienced the greatest gains, particularly in posture and physical strength.

“The improvements in posture alone are particularly noteworthy, given their strong correlation with fall risk and overall mobility,” Moran added.

David Wing, M.S., senior clinical research supervisor at the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, emphasized the broader implications of the findings: “Our findings clearly demonstrate the potential to deliver an effective fall prevention program for older adults through a technological interface.”

The researchers suggest that future studies explore the possibility of deploying this intervention in populations that are of a lower overall socio-economic status and more remote from the location of intervention deployment. Further, developing these materials into other languages in a culturally appropriate manner could expand the reach to other populations who would benefit from the opportunity to receive at-home fall risk training.