Effectiveness of Online Self-care Education in Preventing Falls at Home Among Older Adults: A Quasi-experimental Study

Abstract

Objectives Falling can have significant negative consequences on the health and quality of life of older adults. This study aims to assess the effect of online self-care education on the knowledge, attitude and practice of older adults in preventing falls at home. Methods & Materials This is a quasi-experimental study with a pre-test/post-test/follow-up design that was conducted on 120 people aged ≥65 years referring to comprehensive health centers in the south of Tehran, Iran, in 2021. A researcher-made questionnaire was completed by the participants before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. The intervention was a virtual self-care educational program for fall prevention at home. Data analysis was done in SPSS software, version 26 using descriptive statistics (such as Mean±SD) and analytical tests including independent t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and chi-square test. Results About 22% of the elderly had a history of falling in the past year. Immediately after the intervention, the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 18.39±2.86, 14.99±2.51, and 13.76±3.1, respectively, which were significantly higher than the pre-test scores (P<0.001). Three months after the intervention, the mean scores of knowledge, attitude, and practice were 18.18±1.14, 14.91±1.57, and 9.06±2.78, respectively, which were significantly higher than the pre-test scores (P<0.001). Conclusion Online self-care education for fall prevention at home can significantly increase the knowledge, attitude, and practice of the elderly and reduce the risk of falling.

Keywords

• falling
• elderly
• distance training
• virtual education
• self-care