The Effect of the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park Physical Activity Program on Falls in Older People in the Community: A Prospective Pre-Post Study Design.

BACKGROUND: The ENJOY project (Exercise interveNtion outdoor proJect in the cOmmunitY for older people) is a community-based research project actively promoting physical activity engagement through the delivery of an exercise program using outdoor multimodal exercise equipment. This study investigated the impact of the physical activity program on falls in older people. METHOD: This study was a multi-site prospective study with a pre-post intervention design and 12-month follow up. Eighty older people with increased falls risk underwent a 12-week supervised outdoors exercise program followed by a 6-month maintenance phase. The proportion of fallers and falls incidence were compared between the preceding and the prospective years. RESULTS: A sample of 54 (age 72.4±7.3, 79.6% women) was available for the 12 months analysis (due to COVID19 lockdowns, data of 19 participants were excluded and 4 dropped out). Number of fallers (from 51.8% to 31.4%, p=0.03) and falls incidence (from 42 to 29 falls, p<0.01) were significantly reduced at the 12-months follow up. CONCLUSION: The ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park program integrates outdoor multimodal exercise stations including specific exercises designed to challenge dynamic balance during functional daily movements. The outcomes provide preliminary evidence for the potential positive impact of the ENJOY Seniors Exercise Park in reducing falls for older people.

Economic evaluations of antibiotic use and resistance--a perspective: report of Task Force 6.

The economic consequences of antibiotic prophylaxis and therapy for bacterial infections in humans are profound. The reduction in real-dollar terms in the amount of illness and disability resulting from the use of developed and marketed antibiotics far outweighs costs of adverse effects, including resistance. Although bacterial infections continue to cause substantial mortality and morbidity worldwide, standard criteria for assessing the relation of infection to death or the contribution of resistance to mortality and morbidity do not exist. While local outbreaks of resistance may have serious consequences, bacterial susceptibility to antimicrobial therapy has remained virtually unchanged nationally where studied. Nevertheless, discriminating use of antimicrobial agents is held widely to be the keystone for minimizing resistance. It is not clear whether risk of selecting resistance is lowered by current community or clinical practices. Some analysts concentrate on the "problem" and "cost" of resistance and forget the benefits of the use of antibiotics. Development of resistance is a natural consequence of antibiotic use, but further quantification of this relation is required. Reports that resistance is increasing worldwide have presented a scientific challenge and economic opportunity to the pharmaceutical industry for the development of new antimicrobial agents. However, if a reasonable rate of return cannot be foreseen, capital for research and development is likely to be invested in areas that appear more financially attractive.