Abstract OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of a fall prevention program offered
ID: 3177226 • Letter: A
Question
Abstract
OBJECTIVES:
To examine the effect of a fall prevention program offered under real-world conditions on
balance maintenance several months after the program. To explore the program's impact on falls.
METHOD:
A quasi-experimental study was conducted among community-dwelling seniors, with pre- and
post intervention measures of balance performance and self-reported falls. Ten community-based
organizations offered the intervention (98 participants) and 7 recruited participants to the study's
control arm (102 participants). An earlier study examined balance immediately after the 12-week
program. The present study focuses on the 12-month effect. Linear regression (balance) and
negative binomial regression (falls) procedures were performed.
RESULTS:
During the 12-month study period, experimental participants improved and maintained their
balance as reflected by their scores on three performance tests. There was no evidence of an
effect on falls.
DISCUSSION:
Structured group exercise programs offered in community-based settings can maintain selected
components of balance for several months after the program's end.
Questions
Question 1:
A. What are the two basic conditions for a quasi-experimental design to have good internal
validity?
B. Why do quasi experiments often turn out to have better external validity than
randomized field experiments?
C. What evidence of merit is used to determine the effectiveness of the intervention?
Explanation / Answer
A. Two basic conditions of good internal validity are (i) try to minimise the thread of partcipants i.e. experimental participants improved and maintained their balance and (ii) structured groups are manipulated and controlled so that it effec the measurement, no other treatments influences the results.
B. In quasi experiment, no randomisation required due to some unethical reason, in this case effect of fall prevention programme and due to the manipulation and controll the treatments on the groups, the results are very natural rather than purely random. That is why the experiment has better external validity the randomised field experiment.
C. The studyn was conducted with pre and post intervention measures of balance performance and self reported falls..