Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 27, 2025
09:19
Community-based Adapted Tango Dancing for Individuals with Parkinson's Disease and Older Adults
Published on: December 9, 2014
25.7K
Efficacy of the Stroll Safe Outdoor Fall Prevention Program: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Tracy Chippendale1, Steven M Albert2, Atiya Mahmood3
1Department of Occupational Therapy, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University, New York City, New York, USA.
The Gerontologist
|September 23, 2022
Summary
The Stroll Safe program effectively educates older adults on outdoor fall risks and safe mobility strategies. This community-based intervention significantly improves knowledge and strategy use, addressing a gap in fall prevention.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Public Health
- Preventive Medicine
Background:
- Outdoor falls pose significant risks to community-dwelling older adults' independence.
- Existing fall prevention programs often overlook specific outdoor fall risks.
- The Stroll Safe program was developed to address this gap in community-based interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of the Stroll Safe program in preventing outdoor falls among older adults.
- To assess improvements in knowledge of outdoor fall risks and safe strategy use.
- To determine the impact on fear of falling and protective behaviors.
Main Methods:
- A cluster-randomized controlled trial involving 86 participants aged 60+ with a history of outdoor falls or fear of falling outdoors.
- Eight retirement community sites were randomized to the Stroll Safe intervention or a wait-list control group.
- Outcome measures included validated questionnaires on fall risks, behaviors, and efficacy, analyzed using ANCOVA and linear mixed models.
Main Results:
- Significant improvements (p < .05) were observed in knowledge of outdoor fall risks and safe strategy use.
- Large effect sizes (Cohen's d = 1.2-1.9) indicate a substantial impact of the program.
- Positive results were sustained at 6-week follow-up.
Conclusions:
- The Stroll Safe program is an effective intervention for enhancing outdoor fall prevention knowledge and safe mobility strategies in older adults.
- This program successfully fills a critical need for targeted outdoor fall prevention initiatives.
- Clinical Trials Registration Number: NCT03624777.
