Authors (including presenting author) :
Chan TY, Lau KCT, Yip CTC, Man SYC, Yu CYS
Affiliation :
Occupational Therapy Department, Tseung Kwan O Hospital
Introduction :
The Lifestyle-Integrated Functional Exercise (LiFE) program is designed to reduce fall risk and improve functional abilities by embedding balance and strengthening activities into daily routines. LiFE program was originally developed as individual-based, while group-based LiFE was later found to be more cost-effective and could improve patient compliance. However, most studies focused on group-based LiFE with single patient diagnosis. Limited research evaluated the effectiveness of group-based LiFE with mixed patient diagnosis. Therefore, a pilot study was conducted to address this gap.
Compared to the conventional LiFE, fall prevention education was included in modified group-based LiFE, which aimed to further deepen fall prevention knowledge of participants.
Objectives :
To investigate the effectiveness of modified group-based LiFE program on fall prevention in outpatient setting for patients with geriatric and neurological conditions
Methodology :
Participants were recruited from outpatient rehabilitation program of Occupational Therapy Department in Tseung Kwan O Hospital. Inclusion criteria were: 1) history of fall in past 12 months, risk of fall or fear of fall, 2) HK-MoCA 5 mins score above or equal to 7th percentile, 3) Able to walk minimum 4 metres unsupported with or without aid, independently or with a carer.
Participants would attend 4 weekly modified group LiFE training sessions, each lasting one hour. Sessions included fall prevention education focusing on risk factor identification, behaviour modification and environmental advice, followed by balance and strengthening activity practice. Program effectiveness was evaluated using the Modified Barthel Index (MBI), Lawton IADL scale, Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), Fall Efficacy Scale (FES), and Activities-Specific Balance Confidence scale Chinese version (ABC-C).
Result & Outcome :
7 men and 11 women were recruited from September 2024 to January 2025, with a mean age of 72.1 years. Among 18 participants, 7 were stroke patients, 7 had parkinsonism, and the remaining 4 had other medical and geriatric conditions. Paired t-test indicated significant improvements in Lawton IADL scale (t=-3.000, 2-tailed sig.=0.008) and ABC-C (t=-3.553, 2-tailed sig.=0.002), while Wilcoxon Signed-Rank Test showed significant improvements in MBI (Z=-2.527, Sig.= 0.012), SPPB (Z=-2.550, Sig.=0.011), and FES scores (Z=-3.045, Sig.=0.002).
Participant satisfaction survey revealed positive feedback towards the program. Participants generally reported enhanced fall prevention awareness and boosted fall efficacy.
The pilot program was shown effective in improving balance, fall efficacy and balance efficacy. Further studies with larger sample size could be considered to verify its effectiveness for future development.
