The six-minute walk test as a fall risk screening tool in community programs for persons with stroke: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background and Purpose: Persons with stroke have increased risk for recurrent stroke. Group exercise programs like cardiac rehabilitation might reduce this risk. These programs commonly use the six-minute walk test to measure aerobic capacity. However, failure to assess fall risk may compromise safety for persons with stroke. The study aim was to determine the association between the six-minute walk test and fall risk in persons with stroke.Methods: Cross-sectional analysis measured the association between the six-minute walk test and fall risk in 66 persons with stroke with a mean age of 66 years (SD 12) and median stroke chronicity of 60.9 months (range 6.0-272.1). The six-minute walk test was evaluated using logistic regression. The best fit model was used in Receiver Operating Characteristic analysis. Likelihood ratios and post-test probabilities were calculated.Results: Lower six-minute walk test distance was associated with increased fall risk in logistic regression (p = .002). The area under the curve for the univariate six-minute walk test model (best fit) was 0.701 (p = .006). The cutoff for increased fall risk was six-minute walk test <331.65 m. The post-test probability of fall risk increased to 74.3% from a pre-test probability of 59.1%.Discussion: The moderate association between fall risk and six-minute walk test suggests that in addition to assessing capacity, the six-minute walk test provides insight into fall risk/balance confidence.Conclusion: Using the six-minute walk test cutoff to screen fall risk in community exercise programs may enhance safety for persons with stroke without additional testing required.

Knowledge evaluation instruments for dementia caregiver education programs: A scoping review.

With the increase in our older adult population, there is a need for dementia training for informal and formal dementia caregivers. The objective of this scoping study is to assess dementia knowledge instruments utilized in educational programs and interventions intended for formal and informal dementia caregivers. Scoping review methodology was used to search PubMed, PsycInfo, CINAHL and Web of Science with tailored database search terms. The search yielded 8101 results, with 35 studies meeting inclusion. Studies were conducted in eight countries, had varying study designs (randomized controlled trials [RCTs] = 9, non-RCTs = 6, one-group study design = 20) and utilized previously published (19) and author developed (16) instruments. Furthermore, the studies were internationally diverse, conducted in the United States (n = 18), Australia (n = 7), UK (n = 3), China (n = 2), Canada (n = 2), Taiwan (n = 1), Brazil (n = 1) and multi-country (n = 1). Only two studies focused on minority populations. While author-developed instruments may be more relevant and timesaving, studies should strive to validate instruments or use previously published instruments to help standardize findings across studies and understand better the effects of educational programs on caregiver knowledge. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 397-413.