The models of physical activity, functional fitness, and fall among the elderly in Taipei

Promoting physical activity, maintaining functional fitness and preventing fall among older population have emerged as important issues to improve public health and quality of living. The main purpose of this study is to examine the physical activity, functional fitness and fall conditions, to investigate the predict power of physical activity and functional fitness on fall, and to establish the relationships and model among physical activity, functional fitness, and fall in the older adults in Taipei.
332 subjects over the age of 65 or over and living in Taipei City, were participated in this study after probability proportional to size sampling. The response rate was 20.41%. The information of 312 cases was used to analyze. The status of physical activity (physical activity score, household score, and leisure time activity score), functional fitness (body composition, upper and lower body strength, aerobic endurance, upper and lower body flexibility, and agility/dynamic balance), and fall (number of fall and fall efficacy scale) were identified.
Age, gender, perceived health status, number of disease, and arthritis were identified as the influencing factors of physical activities. That female had better lower body strength and poor agility/dynamic balance than older American female was noticed. The scores of fall efficacy were higher in older Taiwanese than western older adults. Older age, more number of disease and medication category, no spouse, living alone, poor flexibility and aerobic endurance were identified as determinants of number of fall. The relationships between physical activity and strength, aerobic endurance, flexibility, fall efficacy; and between the number of fall, aerobic endurance and flexibility were also found.
Models of physical activity, functional fitness, and the number of fall, and the fall efficacy among elderly according to different living arrangement and health status perceptions were identified. Interactive effects of demographic characteristic, physical activity, fitness, and information about fall prevention could explain 20.3% and 28.6% variance of number of fall and fall efficacy, respectively.
This study highlights the importance of examining the interactive effects of demographic characteristics, physical activity, and functional fitness on fall Cross-cultural and gender studies are recommended to examine the influencing mechanisms of fitness and the amount of physical activity on fall in older population. Health professional can encourage older females to participate more leisure time activity and improve their agility/dynamic balance; and can offer older males to perform more household work and to improve their flexibility. Community health workers can apply the proposed models and senior fitness tests to screen the high risk group of fall and allocate health resources.