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Floor-Hugging intervention: findings from an exploratory study of a novel floor-exposure and post-fall contingency
1Department of Political, Historical, Religious and Cultural Studies, Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden.
Introduction:
Falls constitute a significant public health burden across the adult lifespan, affecting both working-age and older populations and compromising functional independence and quality of life through physical and psychological consequences. Current interventions typically address these dimensions in isolation, emphasizing fall avoidance rather than equipping individuals to manage and recover from falls when they occur.
Methods:
This exploratory study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and safety of the Floor-Hugging Intervention (Floor-HI), a novel multicomponent program that combines controlled exposure to fall-risk environments with systematic training in post-fall recovery skills, including floor-to-standing transitions, fall imagination, and role-playing scenarios. Eight community-dwelling, middle-aged adults (3 males, 5 females; aged 31-55 years) completed a 3-week program. Outcomes including concern of falling, postural control, floor-rise ability, turning ability, and health-related quality of life were assessed at four time points (Weeks 0, 3, 6, and 9).
Results:
Recruitment, retention, and adherence rates were 100%, 89%, and 100%, respectively. Significant improvements over time were observed in postural stability (Mini-BESTest, p = .011), floor-rise ability (Sitting Rising Test, p = .011), and turning capacity (360° Turn Test duration, p = .012-.017). Concern of falling (Falls Efficacy Scale-International, p = .145) and health-related quality of life (RAND-36, p > .05) remained unchanged. Intervention acceptability was high across all domains of the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability questionnaire. Only a small number of mild, transient adverse events were reported, all resolving without medical intervention, and no serious adverse events occurred.
Discussion:
Despite being limited by the absence of a control group and a small sample size, this study demonstrates that Floor-HI is feasible, acceptable, and safe in community-dwelling middle-aged adults. These findings provide a foundation for future feasibility and controlled trials to establish efficacy and applicability in populations with elevated fall risk.
