The Relationship between Falls Efficacy and Improvement in Fall Risk Factors Following an Exercise Plus Educational Intervention for Older Adults with Hip Osteoarthritis

Older adults with decreased confidence in their ability to prevent a fall may benefit from an exercise programme that includes self-efficacy-enhancing education. The objectives of this study were to explore differences in fall-risk outcomes in older adults with higher vs. lower levels of falls efficacy and to evaluate the relationship between baseline falls-efficacy status and changes in fall risk factors following two interventions. Fifty-four older adults with hip osteoarthritis and at least one risk factor for falls received aquatic exercise twice weekly plus education once weekly (EE) or aquatic exercise only, twice weekly (EO), for 11 weeks. EE participants with low baseline falls efficacy demonstrated significantly (p