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Volume 16, Issue 3 (2024)
Iran J War Public Health 2024, 16(3): 239-244 |
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Ethics code: IR/SSRI.REC.1402.278
History
Received: 2024/05/30 | Accepted: 2024/08/5 | Published: 2024/09/30
Received: 2024/05/30 | Accepted: 2024/08/5 | Published: 2024/09/30
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Nezhadmohammadi M, Zarei M, Hosseini S, Asady Samani Z. The Effect of Eight Weeks of Square Stepping Exercise on the Risk of Falls in Elderly Men. Iran J War Public Health 2024; 16 (3) :239-244
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1- Department of Sports Rehabilitation and Health, Faculty of Sports Sciences and Health, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2- Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Hasht Behesht Institute of Higher Education, Isfahan, Iran
2- Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Hasht Behesht Institute of Higher Education, Isfahan, Iran
Abstract (956 Views)
Aims: Preventing falls among the elderly is a significant public health priority in aging populations. This study examined the impact of an eight-week square stepping exercise program on fall risk in elderly men.
Materials & Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 30 elderly men aged 60-75 were recruited from senior day care centers in Tehran and randomly assigned to either a square stepping exercise group or a control group. Fall risk was measured using the Biodex Balance System and Fall Risk Test at levels 10 to 12. The exercise group participated in a structured square stepping exercise regimen three times per week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, over an eight-week period. The control group continued their usual daily routines. Fall risk was reassessed after the intervention, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare pre- and post-intervention results between groups.
Findings: After verifying the ANCOVA assumptions, results indicated a significant group effect in the post-test, with a substantial reduction in fall risk in the exercise group (2.35±1.15) compared to the control group (4.85±1.70; p=0.001) following the eight-week intervention.
Conclusion: Square stepping exercises provide a straightforward, effective, and affordable option for reducing fall risk among elderly individuals, supporting its potential as a practical home-based intervention.
Materials & Methods: In this randomized clinical trial, 30 elderly men aged 60-75 were recruited from senior day care centers in Tehran and randomly assigned to either a square stepping exercise group or a control group. Fall risk was measured using the Biodex Balance System and Fall Risk Test at levels 10 to 12. The exercise group participated in a structured square stepping exercise regimen three times per week, with each session lasting 60 minutes, over an eight-week period. The control group continued their usual daily routines. Fall risk was reassessed after the intervention, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to compare pre- and post-intervention results between groups.
Findings: After verifying the ANCOVA assumptions, results indicated a significant group effect in the post-test, with a substantial reduction in fall risk in the exercise group (2.35±1.15) compared to the control group (4.85±1.70; p=0.001) following the eight-week intervention.
Conclusion: Square stepping exercises provide a straightforward, effective, and affordable option for reducing fall risk among elderly individuals, supporting its potential as a practical home-based intervention.
Keywords:
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