Award Date

5-1-2023

Degree Type

Doctoral Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Committee Member

Jenny Kent

Second Committee Member

Daniel Young

Third Committee Member

Merrill Landers

Number of Pages

52

Abstract

Falls are the leading causes of injury-related death in adults over the age of 65, with women sustaining more than twice the rate of fall-related fractures as men. Reduced access to in-person falls prevention programs during the COVID-19 pandemic created a need for a user-friendly guide to existing online fall prevention resources targeted at this vulnerable population. The first aim of this study was to create and make widely available a website with evidence-based resources that address a range of modifiable fall risk factors, and the second was to test its feasibility in a convenience sample of older women. The tool was created based on a literature search and through reputable resources (such as the National Council on Aging, CDC, AARP, the YMCA, and others). Utilizing a feasibility framework, we evaluated recruitment strategies, accessibility, acceptability, and suitability of the website for our targeted population. 44 Participants were recruited through existing networks, community partnerships, and in-person fall prevention screenings within the Las Vegas, NV metropolitan area. The online tool linked users to strength and balance exercise programs, vision screenings, home and community safety interventions, and information on polypharmacy, nutrition, and brain health. A survey was administered to participants following three months of access to the website. Survey responses revealed that the majority of users that replied to the survey were satisfied with their experience using the website, found the website easy to use, felt they knew more about fall prevention after using the website, planned to continue to use it, and would recommend it to others. Our study concluded that it is feasible to distribute resources on the topic of fall prevention to older women utilizing the medium of a website.

Keywords

Fall Prevention; Falls; Older Adults; Women; Older Women; Multifactorial; Online Intervention; Fall Prevention Exercise; Home Hazard Assessment; Polypharmacy; Women’s Health; Vision Assessment; Nutrition

Disciplines

Physical Therapy

File Format

pdf

File Size

653 KB

Degree Grantor

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language

English

Rights

IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

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