Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Multifactorial Exercise Intervention Decreases Falls Risk In High-Risk And Low-Risk Older Adults, Amanda Estep, Steven Morrison, Shane V. Caswell, Jatin P. Ambegaonkar, João R. Vaz, Nelson Cortes

Rehabilitation Sciences Faculty Publications

Background: Each year, 1 in 4 people over the age of 65 years of age will experience a fall. It is important to identify and address modifiable risk factors that are associated with falls in adults at high and low risk for falls.

Hypothesis: Falls risk improves in both high-risk and low-risk participants with the implementation of Stay Active and Independent for Life (SAIL).

Study Design: Cohort study.

Level of Evidence: Level 3.

Methods: Seventy-eight older adults (age, 70.9 ± 5.1 years) were included in this study and categorized into high risk and low risk for falling based on the …

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Is A Risk Factor For Lower-Limb And Back Injury In Law Enforcement Officers Commencing Their Basic Training: A Prospective Cohort Study, Myles C. Murphy, Nicole Merrick, Andrea B. Mosler, Garth Allen, Paola Chivers, Nicolas H. Hart

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

We aimed to report the epidemiology of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries in Police Force recruits. We performed a cohort study of Police Force recruits undergoing a six-month training program with prospective injury data collected between 2018 and 2021. Cardiorespiratory fitness was quantified by the beep-test and police-specific-functional-capacity was quantified using a specifically designed physical performance evaluation (PPE) tool. Injury frequency and prevalence were reported. Fifteen percent (n = 180) of study Police Force recruits (n = 1,181) sustained a lower-limb or lumbosacral injury. The six-month training program significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness (p < 0.001) and functional capacity (p < 0.001). Increased cardiorespiratory fitness at baseline decreased injury risk (OR = 0.8, 95%CI: 0.66–0.97, p = 0.019). Injury rates decreased over time and females were injured significantly earlier than males (HR = 0.70, 95%CI: 0.52 to 0.95, p = 0.021). Interventions that can pre-condition Police Force recruits prior to the commencement of their basic physical training may reduce the number of lower-limb and lumbosacral injuries.

Addressing Oral Health Inequities Through Community Based Programs: Opportunities For Interprofessional Teams, Stephanie De Sam Lazaro, Rachel Mcpherson, Annalise Wallerich

Occupational Therapy Faculty Scholarship

Learning Outcomes of the presentation were for participants to:1. Identify the importance of addressing oral health with all of their clients.2. Recognize strategies that can be used by various professionals to prevent oral health issues.3. Summarize interprofessional teaming opportunities to combat oral health inequities.

Fall Prevention Education Training For Older Adults With Serious Mental Illness And Previous Homelessness, Alex Manwaring, Bs, Tina Deangelis, Edd, Otr/L, Elizabeth Brooks, Bs

Department of Occupational Therapy Posters and Presentations

Purpose: To examine the effect of an occupational therapy education and training program on fall risk awareness and fear of falling (FOF) with older adults who reside in one permanent supportive housing site, Project HOME (Housing. Opportunity. Medical. Education.), who have a history of serious mental illness and chronic homelessness.

Methods: Seven individuals aged 55+ from Project HOME, a permanent supportive housing non-profit organization in the Northeast, participated in a six-week pre-post occupational therapy education and training group program aimed to decrease FOF. Fear of falling was measured using the Fear of Falling Efficacy Scale –International (FES-I) with cut-off scores …

Infection Prevention Strategies In Cardiac Rehabilitation [1]—A Behavioral Intervention For Patients [2], Wendy Bjerke

Exercise Science Faculty Publications

Background: Healthcare Acquired Infections (HAI) result in over 100 thousand deaths each year with one third of these deaths preventable via behaviors such as hand washing among health care providers in inpatient settings. Less research has been conducted in outpatient exercise settings such as cardiac rehabilitation (CR) among patients. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of HAI prevention strategies in a CR setting among patients. Methods: Observations of the frequency of hand washing among CR patients pre and post four HAI strategies including provision of HAI education and signs, hand washing demonstrations, a HAI prevention …

The Healthy Mind, Healthy Mobility Trial: A Novel Exercise Program For Older Adults, Dawn P. Gill, Michael A. Gregory, Guangyong Zou, Teresa Liu-Ambrose, Ryosuke Shigematsu, Vladimir Hachinski, Clara Fitzgerald, Robert Petrella

Lifestyle Research Team

BACKGROUND:

More evidence is needed to conclude that a specific program of exercise and/or cognitive training warrants prescription for the prevention of cognitive decline. We examined the effect of a group-based standard exercise program for older adults, with and without dual-task training, on cognitive function in older adults without dementia.

METHODS:

We conducted a proof-of-concept, single-blinded, 26-wk randomized controlled trial whereby participants recruited from preexisting exercise classes at the Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging in London, Ontario, were randomized to the intervention group (exercise + dual-task [EDT]) or the control group (exercise only [EO]). Each week (2 or 3 …

The Role Of Occupational Therapy In The Prevention Of Infant Torticollis & Plagiocephaly, Anne H. Zachry

Faculty Presentations

AOTA includes health promotion as an Intervention approach in the Occupational Therapy Practice Framework: Domain and Process. As health care professionals, occupational therapy practitioners are responsible for promoting public health and wellness. Occupational therapists need to educate parents and caregivers about the importance of varying infant positions, providing tummy time, and limiting infant time spent in baby gear.

Can Helmet Design Reduce The Risk Of Concussion In Football?, Steven Rowson, Stefan M. Duma, Richard M. Greenwald, Jonathan Beckwith, Jeffrey J. Chu, Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Jason P. Mihalik, Joe Crisco, Bethany J. Wilcox, Thomas W. Mcallister, Arthur C. Maerlender, Steven P. Broglio, Brock Schnebel, Scott Anderson, P. Gunnar Brolinson

Center for Brain, Biology, and Behavior: Faculty and Staff Publications

Of all sports, football accounts for the highest incidence of concussion in the US due to the large number of athletes participating and the nature of the sport. While there is general agreement that concussion incidence can be reduced through rule changes and teaching proper tackling technique, there remains debate as to whether helmet design may also reduce the incidence of concussion. A retrospective analysis was performed of head impact data collected from 1833 collegiate football players who were instrumented with helmet-mounted accelerometer arrays for games and practices. Data were collected between 2005 and 2010 from 8 collegiate football teams: …

A Multidisciplinary Approach To The Prevention Of Infant Torticollis And Plagiocephaly, Anne H. Zachry, S. K. Slaughter

Faculty Presentations

Research suggests that parents are more likely to carry out positioning recommendations from a health care professional than any other source. Occupational therapy practitioners can play an important role in educating parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers about the importance of providing tummy time and limiting infant time spent in baby gear.

Cost Effectiveness Of Patient Education For The Prevention Of Falls In Hospital: Economic Evaluation From A Randomized Controlled Trial, Terry P. Haines, Anne-Marie Hill, Keith D. Hill, Sandra G. Brauer, Tammy Hoffmann, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Steven M. Mcphail

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Background

Falls are one of the most frequently occurring adverse events that impact upon the recovery of older hospital inpatients. Falls can threaten both immediate and longer-term health and independence. There is need to identify cost-effective means for preventing falls in hospitals. Hospital-based falls prevention interventions tested in randomized trials have not yet been subjected to economic evaluation.

Methods

Incremental cost-effectiveness analysis was undertaken from the health service provider perspective, over the period of hospitalization (time horizon) using the Australian Dollar (A$) at 2008 values. Analyses were based on data from a randomized trial among n = 1,206 acute and …

A Randomized Trial Comparing Digital Video Disc With Written Delivery Of Falls Prevention Education For Older Patients In Hospital, Anne-Marie Hill, Steven Mcphail, Tammy Hoffman, Keith Hill, David Oliver, Christopher Beer, Sandra Brauer, Terry P. Haines

Physiotherapy Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: To compare the effectiveness of a digital video disc (DVD) with that of a written workbook delivering falls prevention education to older hospital patients on self-perceived risk of falls, perception of falls epidemiology, knowledge of prevention strategies, and motivation and confidence to engage in self-protective strategies. To compare the effect of receiving either education approach versus no education on patients' perception of falls epidemiology.

Design: Randomized trial (DVD vs workbook) with additional quasi-experimental control group.

Settings: Geriatric, medical, and orthopedic wards in Perth and Brisbane, Australia.

Participants: One hundred (n=51 DVD, n=49 workbook) hospital inpatients aged 60 and older …

Functional Rehabilitation: Managing Low Back Pain Through Activities-Of-Daily-Living Education, Timothy E. Speicher, R. Daniel Martin, Robert M. Desimone

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

After trauma to the low back, a decrease in intervertebral joint stiffness can occur, which can lead to inability of the motor-control system to compensate for the tasks imposed on the tissues, resulting in spinal instability. Intervertebral joint stiffness can be thought of as a tightening of a corset around a spine segment, facilitated through coactivation of small and large spinal muscles. The motor-control system might be able to adapt initially with cocontractions of the intrinsic muscles, but an unbalanced demand between the small and large muscles can lead to muscle fatigue and poor task performance. The inability of the …

The Role Of The Certified Strength And Conditioning Specialist In Preventing Childhood Obesity, Jason Brumitt

Faculty Publications - College of Physical Therapy

Obesity is a leading cause of many chronic diseases. The likelihood of adult obesity increases if one is obese as a child. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist professionals in the high school setting can promote health and fitness to our youth through education and exercise prescription.