Understanding the delivery of the Falls Management Exercise Programme (FaME) across the U.K.

Objectives: 1) Map FaME delivery across the UK, 2) explore and understand delivery of the FaME programme in practice. Methods: Sequential exploratory mixed methods. 1) survey of n=247 Postural Stability Instructor (PSIs) across the UK, 2) purposively sampled n=23 PSIs to take part in interviews. Quantitative data was described descriptively due to low sample size, and qualitative data coded using thematic analysis. Results: Instructors pre-dominantly delivered classes in a community-setting, were mostly White British females with a range of experience. Most respondents were exercise instructors, physiotherapists, or therapist assistants. Only 136 (55.1%) respondents currently delivered the programme. The essential components of the FaME programme that instructors did not implement routinely were backward chaining, floorwork and Tai Chi. Five main themes emerged from qualitative data: individual, delivery and set-up, evidence-based delivery, motivational strategies, and instructor-based factors. Most instructors reported fidelity to most components of FaME and shared barriers and facilitators to delivering classes. Conclusion: This study gives a UK overview of the implementation of FaME. PSIs present a complex picture of the ways set-up and delivery of evidence-based programmes in practice can influence older adults' attendance, adherence and experience of the programme, and barriers and facilitators to delivery of the programme with fidelity.

Health and sociodemographic determinants of excess mortality in Spanish nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a 2-year prospective longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Age, multimorbidity, immunodeficiency and frailty of older people living in nursing homes make them vulnerable to COVID-19 and overall mortality. OBJECTIVE: To estimate overall and COVID-19 mortality parameters and analyse their predictive factors in older people living in nursing homes over a 2-year period. METHOD: Design: A 2-year prospective longitudinal multicentre study was conducted between 2020 and 2022. SETTING: This study involved five nursing homes in Central Catalonia (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Residents aged 65 years or older who lived in the nursing homes on a permanent basis. MEASUREMENTS: Date and causes of deaths were recorded. In addition, sociodemographic and health data were collected. For the effect on mortality, survival curves were performed using the Kaplan-Meier method and multivariate analysis using Cox regression. RESULTS: The total sample of 125 subjects had a mean age of 85.10 years (standard deviation = 7.3 years). There were 59 (47.2%) deaths at 24 months (95% confidence interval, CI, 38.6-55.9) and 25 (20.0%) were due to COVID-19, mostly in the first 3 months. In multivariate analysis, functional impairment (hazard ratio, HR 2.40; 95% CI 1.33-4.32) was a significant risk factor for mortality independent of age (HR 1.17; 95% CI 0.69-2.00) and risk of sarcopenia (HR 1.40; 95% CI 0.63-3.12). CONCLUSION: Almost half of this sample of nursing home residents died in the 2­year period, and one fifth were attributed to COVID-19. Functional impairment was a risk factor for overall mortality and COVID-19 mortality, independent of age and risk of sarcopenia.

Implementation of a Frailty Care Bundle (FCB) Targeting Mobilisation, Nutrition and Cognitive Engagement to Reduce Hospital Associated Decline in Older Orthopaedic Trauma Patients: Pretest-Posttest Intervention Study.

Objective: To implement and evaluate a Frailty Care Bundle (FCB) targeting mobilisation, nutrition, and cognition in older trauma patients to reduce hospital associated decline. Methods: We used a two group, pretest-posttest design. The FCB intervention was delivered on two orthopaedic wards and two rehabilitation wards, guided by behaviour change theory (COM-B) to implement changes in ward routines (patient mobility goals, nurse assisted mobilisation, mealtimes, communication). Primary outcomes were patient participants' return to pre-trauma functional capability (modified Barthel Index - mBI) at 6-8 weeks post-hospital discharge and average hospital daily step-count. Statistical analysis compared pre versus post FCB group differences using ordinal regression and log-linear models. Results: We recruited 120 patients (pre n=60 and post n=60), and 74 (pre n=43, post n=36) were retained at follow-up. Median age was 78 years and 83% were female. There was a non-significant trend for higher mBI scores (improved function) in the post compared to pre FCB group (OR 2.29, 95% CI 0.98-5.36), associated with an average 11% increase in step-count. Conclusion: It was feasible, during the Covid-19 pandemic, for multidisciplinary teams to implement elements of the FCB. Clinical facilitation supported teams to prioritise fundamental care above competing demands, but sustainability requires ongoing attention. ISRCTN registry: ISRCTN15145850 (https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN15145850).

Prevalence of urinary incontinence and associated factors in nursing homes: a multicentre cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common geriatric syndrome with high health and socio-economic impacts in nursing home (NH) residents. OBJECTIVES: To estimate the prevalence and types of UI and its associated factors in older people living in NHs in Central Catalonia (Spain). We also determined the proportion of residents who were receiving behavioural strategies to prevent/manage UI. DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional study in 5 NHs conducted from January to March 2020. METHODS: We included consenting residents aged 65 + permanently living in the NHs. Residents who were hospitalized, in a coma or palliative care were excluded. UI was assessed using Section H of the Minimum Data Set. Sociodemographic and health-related variables were examined. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were performed. RESULTS: We included 132 subjects (82.6% women), mean age of 85.2 (SD = 7.4) years. The prevalence of UI was 76.5% (95% CI: 68.60-82.93). The most common type was functional UI (45.5%), followed by urgency UI (11.4%). Only 46.2% of residents received at least one behavioural strategy to manage UI. Most sedentary behaviour (SB) variables presented a p-value lower than 0.001 in the bivariate analyses, but none remained in the final model. Moderate-severe cognitive impairment (OR = 4.44, p =.003), anticholinergic activity (OR = 3.50, p =.004) and risk of sarcopenia using SARC-F (OR = 2.75, p =.041) were associated with UI. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of UI was high in this sample of NH residents compared to the literature, yet less than half received prompted voiding as a strategy to prevent/reduce UI.UI was associated with cognitive impairment, anticholinergic activity, and risk of sarcopenia.

Tailored implementation of national recommendations on fall prevention among older adults in municipalities in Norway (FALLPREVENT trial): a study protocol for a cluster-randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Despite substantial research evidence indicating the effectiveness of a range of interventions to prevent falls, uptake into routine clinical practice has been limited by several implementation challenges. The complexity of fall prevention in municipality health care underlines the importance of flexible implementation strategies tailored both to general determinants of fall prevention and to local contexts. This cluster-randomised trial (RCT) investigates the effectiveness of a tailored intervention to implement national recommendations on fall prevention among older home-dwelling adults compared to usual practice on adherence to the recommendations in health professionals. METHODS: Twenty-five municipalities from four regions in Norway will be randomised to intervention or control arms. Each municipality cluster will recruit up to 30 health professionals to participate in the study as responders. The tailored implementation intervention comprises four components: (1) identifying local structures for implementation, (2) establishing a resource team from different professions and levels, (3) promoting knowledge on implementation and fall prevention and (4) supporting the implementation process. Each of these components includes several implementation activities. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) will be used to categorise determinants of the implementation process and the Expert Recommendations for Implementing Change (ERIC) will guide the matching of barriers to implementation strategies. The primary outcome measure for the study will be health professionals' adherence to the national recommendations on fall prevention measured by a questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include injurious falls, the feasibility of the intervention, the experiences of the implementation process and intervention costs. Measurements will be carried out at baseline in August 2023, post-intervention in May 2024 and at a follow-up in November 2024. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence on the effectiveness, intervention costs and underlying processes of change of tailored implementation of evidence-based fall prevention recommendations. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The trial is registered in the Open Science Registry: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JQ9T5 . Registered: March 03, 2023.

The effects of high velocity resistance training on bone mineral density in older adults: A systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of high velocity resistance training (HVRT) on bone mineral density (BMD) in older adults. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using five databases. Records were screened by two independent reviewers. INCLUSION CRITERIA: adults ≥50 years old, HVRT defined as rapid concentric and slow eccentric phase against an external load, control group and/or other intervention group, BMD measured using dual X-ray absorptiometry, and ≥6 months. RESULTS: 25 studies met the inclusion criteria. 12 were original intervention studies (8 RCTs) with n = 1203 people. 13 papers were follow up studies of these original interventions. Heterogeneity of studies meant no meta-analysis was performed. Moderate evidence suggests a small statistically significant effect of HVRT on BMD in older adults at the lumbar spine, total hip, and femoral neck ranging from 0.9 % to 5.4 %. BMD measurements significantly decreased post-intervention in follow-up studies where the interventions had ceased. Dose-response of HVRT was shown to positively impact BMD when ≥2 sessions per week are completed. CONCLUSIONS: HVRT plays a role in increasing BMD of the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip. Doses of higher intensity exercise performed ≥2 sessions per week will yield the most skeletal benefits, and if exercise is stopped for >6 months, benefits achieved may be lost.

Enabling health and maintaining independence for older people at home (HomeHealth trial): a multicentre randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: NHS frailty services commonly target more severely frail older people, despite evidence suggesting frailty can be prevented or reversed when addressed at an earlier stage. HomeHealth is a new home-based, manualised voluntary sector service supporting older people with mild frailty to maintain their independence through behaviour change. Over six appointments, a trained HomeHealth worker discusses what matters to the older person and supports them to set and achieve goals around mobility, nutrition, socialising and/or psychological wellbeing. The service showed promising effects in a feasibility trial. We aimed to test the clinical and cost-effectiveness of HomeHealth for maintaining independence in older people with mild frailty compared with treatment as usual. METHODS: In this single-blind multicentre randomised controlled trial, we recruited community-dwelling older people aged 65 years or older with mild frailty from 27 general practices, community groups and sheltered housing in London, Yorkshire, and Hertfordshire. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either HomeHealth monthly for 6 months or treatment as usual (usual GP and outpatient care, no specific frailty services). Our primary outcome was independence in activities of daily living, measured by blinded outcome assessors using the modified Barthel Index, and analysed using linear mixed models, including 6-month and 12-month data and controlling for baseline Barthel score and site. The study was approved by the Social Care Research Ethics Committee, and all participants provided written or orally recorded informed consent. This study is registered with the ISRCTN registry, ISRCTN54268283. FINDINGS: This trial took place between Jan 18, 2021, and July 4, 2023. We recruited 388 participants (mean age 81·4 years; 64% female [n=250], 94% White British/European [n=364], 2·5% Asian [n=10], 1·5% Black [n=6], 2·0% other [n=8]). We achieved high retention for 6-month follow-up (89%, 345/388), 12-month follow-up (86%, 334/388), and medical notes data (89%, 347/388). 182 (93%) of 195 participants in the intervention group completed the intervention, attending a mean of 5·6 appointments. HomeHealth had no effect on Barthel Index scores at 12 months (mean difference 0·250, 95% CI -0·932 to 1·432). At 6 months, there was a small reduction in psychological distress (-1·237, -2·127 to -0·348) and frailty (-0·124, -0·232 to -0·017), and at 12 months, we found small positive effects on wellbeing (1·449, 0·124 to 2·775) in those receiving HomeHealth. Other outcomes in analysis to date showed no significant difference. Health economic outcomes (including quality of life, capability, health services use and care needs or burden) are pending. INTERPRETATION: This high-quality trial showed that HomeHealth did not maintain independence in older people with mild frailty, and had limited effects upon secondary outcomes. Future studies need to explore different ways to promote health in this population. FUNDING: National Institute for Health and Care Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA).

Supporting physical activity for mobility in older adults with mobility limitations (SuPA Mobility): study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Limited mobility in older adults consistently predicts both morbidity and mortality. As individuals age, the rates of mobility disability increase from 1.0% in people aged 15-24 to 20.6% in adults over 65 years of age. Physical activity can effectively improve mobility in older adults, yet many older adults do not engage in sufficient physical activity. Evidence shows that increasing physical activity by 50 min of moderate intensity physical activity in sedentary older adults with mobility limitations can improve mobility and reduce the incidence of mobility disability. To maximize the healthy life span of older adults, it is necessary to find effective and efficient interventions that can be delivered widely to prevent mobility limitations, increase physical activity participation, and improve quality of life in older adults. We propose a randomized controlled trial to assess the effect of a physical activity health coaching intervention on mobility in older adults with mobility limitations. METHODS: This randomized controlled trial among 290 (145 per group) community-dwelling older adults with mobility limitations, aged 70-89 years old, will compare the effect of a physical activity health coaching intervention versus a general healthy aging education program on mobility, as assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery. The physical activity health coaching intervention will be delivered by exercise individuals who are trained in Brief Action Planning. The coaches will use evidence-based behavior change techniques including goal-setting, action planning, self-monitoring, and feedback to improve participation in physical activity by a known dose of 50 min per week. There will be a total of 9 health coaching or education sessions delivered over 26 weeks with a subsequent 26-week follow-up period, wherein both groups will receive the same duration and frequency of study visits and activities. DISCUSSION: The consequences of limited mobility pose a significant burden on the quality of life of older adults. Our trial is novel in that it investigates implementing a dose of physical activity that is known to improve mobility in older adults utilizing a health coaching intervention. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Protocol Registration System: NCT05978336; registered on 28 July 2023.

Determining minimum number of valid days for accurate estimation of sedentary behaviour and awake-time movement behaviours using the ActivPAL3 in nursing home residents.

INTRODUCTION: Scarce evidence is available about the minimum number of valid days wearing the activPAL3 to obtain a precise estimate of sedentary behaviour (SB) and awake-time movement behaviours (ATMB) in nursing home (NH) residents. The study aimed to determine the minimum number of valid days required for accurately estimate SB and ATMB using the activPAL3 device in NH residents. It also investigated how the starting point of a day (the 24-h period) impacted reliability. METHODS: Participants wore an activPAL3 for 7 consecutive days. The data was classified in two-time blocks (00:00 Ante Meridiem (AM)-00:00 AM midnight vs 12:00 Post Meridiam (PM) -12:00 PM midday) and the sample was stratified into two groups according to their capacity to stand and walk, to examine if timing of sampling or physical functioning affected minimum wear time. SB, ATMB, sociodemographic, and health-related variables were collected. Sensitivity of the time-blocks were tested through the dispersion frequencies and differences between blocks through Kolmogorov-Smirnov test for normality; parametric variables through two-related means T-test and Wilcoxon test for non-parametric data. Reliability was assessed with the Cronbach's Alpha and the intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), using a one-factor model estimating the reliability for each measurement day loading in the same latent factor. RESULTS: Ninety-five NH residents (81.1% women; age = 85.8 ± 7.2 years) were included. The midnight block had higher reliability, sensitivity and no statistically significant differences between days were found. At least three consecutive days of monitoring were necessary to achieve a reliability of ICC ≥ 0.8 for those NH residents able to stand and walk and six days for those unable. CONCLUSIONS: NH residents who are able to stand and walk require a minimum of three consecutive days wearing the device, while those who are unable require at least six days due to their highly homogenous daily routines and sensitivity to PA events. Regardless of the activPAL3 recording start time, data processing should reference the midnight time block.

What are the Effects of Exercise on Trabecular Microarchitecture in Older Adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of HR-pQCT Studies.

The objective of this review was to determine the effects of exercise on high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT) derived trabecular microarchitecture parameters in older adults. Five electronic databases were systematically searched by two independent reviewers. Inclusion criteria were adults age ≥ 50, any type of exercise as part of the intervention, and trabecular microarchitecture assessed via HR-pQCT. Data was extracted from included studies, and where suitable, included in a meta-analysis. Quality of included studies was appraised. Seven studies (397 participants) were included. All participants were postmenopausal women. Interventions included jumping, whole-body vibration, and power/plyometric training. All studies were rated as either weak or moderate quality. Meta-analysis (5 studies) showed no significant changes in any parameters when considering all exercise or sub-analysing based on type. Exercise was not found to have significant effects on trabecular microarchitecture in postmenopausal women over the age of 50. These findings should be interpreted with caution due to the small number of studies investigating few modes of exercise, their weak to moderate quality, and risk of bias. High-quality studies are needed to determine the effects of additional types of exercise in a more diverse population of older adults, including men.

Does stretching of anterior structures alone, or in combination with strengthening of posterior structures, decrease hyperkyphosis and improve posture in adults? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Kyphosis can lead to back pain, poor posture, and increased falls risk. This systematic review aimed to synthesize research on stretching alone, or in combination with strengthening, as a management for hyperkyphosis in the adult population (≥18 years old). An electronic database search was conducted from February to March 2022. The author and an independent reviewer screened titles and abstracts for inclusion criteria - those whose intervention involved stretching alone or with strengthening exercises. The author appraised and extracted data from included articles and performed a meta-analysis where appropriate. The database and citation search yielded 327 articles, 18 of which met inclusion criteria. One study included performed stretching as a standalone intervention; the remainder used a combination of stretching and strengthening. The meta-analysis (n=3, with 5 exercise groups) found a statistically significant difference (MD = -6.97 (95% CI -9.84, -4.10), p<0.00001) in post-intervention measures of hyperkyphosis favouring the exercise group. The narrative review of studies agrees with this finding, demonstrating statistically significant improvement in hyperkyphosis following various exercise programs. This review suggests that stretching and strengthening exercises improve hyperkyphosis in the short and long term. Low-quality evidence supports stretching as a standalone intervention. Further, more robust research is required to recommend procedures and determine if stretching alone is effective for treating hyperkyphosis in adults.

Risk factors for developing symptomatic COVID-19 in older residents of nursing homes: A hypothesis-generating observational study.

Objectives: To identify which risk factors were associated with developing Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) infection, with symptoms, in institutionalized older people. Methods: A 1-year longitudinal multi-center study was conducted in 5 nursing homes (NHs) over the period December 2019 to March 2021. Inclusion criteria included being a permanent resident in the NH, aged 65 years or older, and a positive diagnosis of COVID-19 objectively confirmed by a diagnostic test. A descriptive and bivariate analysis was performed, calculating relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals and statistical significance at p<0.05. Results: Of the total sample of 78 individuals who tested positive for COVID-19, the mean age was 84.6 years (SD=±7.8), 62 (79.5%) were female; 40 (51.3%) participants presented with COVID-19 symptoms. Living in a private NH (RR=3.6, 95% CI [1.2-11.0], p=0.023) and having suffered a stroke (RR=4.1, 95% CI [1.1-14.7], p=0.033) were positively associated with developing COVID-19 infection with symptoms. Conclusions: Having suffered a stroke and living permanently in a private NH were positively associated with symptomatic COVID-19 in this sample of institutionalized older people.Clinical Trials ID: NCT04297904.

Women's perceptions or experiences of physical activity and exercise interventions to improve bone health: a systematic review.

Exercise is an important intervention to maintain bone health in women with osteopenia and osteoporosis. This systematic review aims to gain insight into the experiences or perceptions females have toward bone health interventions, to promote uptake and adherence. Four electronic databases were searched: MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed and PsycInfo. Inclusion Criteria: Qualitative studies examining perceptions or views of women to physical activity or exercise interventions aimed at improving bone health. 1,406 papers were identified. After screening, data were extracted from 2 studies considering experiences and 2 papers presenting perceptions of exercise for bone health. All studies scored >8 out of 10 on the CASP Quality Tool. Older women perceived barriers such as safety and advice, and facilitators of tangible results and feedback within supervised group sessions. Older womens' experiences of a digitally delivered exercise intervention included social interactions and voice reminders, with barriers of lack of feedback and knowledge. Younger women expressed enablers as feeling the benefits and physical literacy, and barriers of previous experience participating in tedious exercise. Supervised sessions, with different intensity levels and variety, offering feedback to promote confidence, are valuable to uptake and adherence in both younger and older females.

World guidelines for falls prevention and management for older adults: a global initiative.

BACKGROUND: falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults, have negative effects on functional independence and quality of life and are associated with increased morbidity, mortality and health related costs. Current guidelines are inconsistent, with no up-to-date, globally applicable ones present. OBJECTIVES: to create a set of evidence- and expert consensus-based falls prevention and management recommendations applicable to older adults for use by healthcare and other professionals that consider: (i) a person-centred approach that includes the perspectives of older adults with lived experience, caregivers and other stakeholders; (ii) gaps in previous guidelines; (iii) recent developments in e-health and (iv) implementation across locations with limited access to resources such as low- and middle-income countries. METHODS: a steering committee and a worldwide multidisciplinary group of experts and stakeholders, including older adults, were assembled. Geriatrics and gerontological societies were represented. Using a modified Delphi process, recommendations from 11 topic-specific working groups (WGs), 10 ad-hoc WGs and a WG dealing with the perspectives of older adults were reviewed and refined. The final recommendations were determined by voting. RECOMMENDATIONS: all older adults should be advised on falls prevention and physical activity. Opportunistic case finding for falls risk is recommended for community-dwelling older adults. Those considered at high risk should be offered a comprehensive multifactorial falls risk assessment with a view to co-design and implement personalised multidomain interventions. Other recommendations cover details of assessment and intervention components and combinations, and recommendations for specific settings and populations. CONCLUSIONS: the core set of recommendations provided will require flexible implementation strategies that consider both local context and resources.

Recruitment strategies and reach of a digital fall-prevention intervention for community-dwelling older adults.

Background: To have an impact on the population's health, preventive interventions have to reach a large proportion of the intended population. Digital solutions show potential for providing wider access to fall preventive exercise. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to reach the target group. The aim of this study was to describe the recruitment process used in the Safe Step randomised controlled trial and the characteristics of the participants reached. Methods: Several recruitment methods, both digital and non-digital, were adopted to reach the intended sample size. Sociodemographic parameters from the baseline questionnaire were used to describe participant characteristics. The characteristics were also compared to a representative sample of older adults in the Swedish population. Results: In total, 1628 older adults were recruited. Social media proved to be the most successful recruitment strategy, through which 76% of the participants were recruited. The participants reached had a mean age of 75.9 years, lived in both urban and rural locations, were already frequent users of the Internet and applications (smartphone/tablet) (79.9%), had higher education (71.9%), and a large proportion were women (79.4%). In comparison with the general population participants in the Safe Step study were more highly educated (p < 0.001), women in the study more frequently lived alone (p < 0.001) and men more often reported poorer self-rated health (p = 0.04). Within the study, men reported a faster deteriorating balance (p = 0.003) and more prescribed medication (p < 0.001) than women. Conclusion: Recruitment via social media is a useful strategy for reaching older adults, especially women and frequent users of the Internet, for a fully self-managed and digital fall prevention exercise intervention. This study underlines that a range of interventions must be available to attract and suit older adults with different functional statuses and digital skills.

Enhancing Existing Formal Home Care to Improve and Maintain Functional Status in Older Adults: Results of a Feasibility Study on the Implementation of Care to Move (CTM) in an Irish Healthcare Setting.

Background: Care to Move (CTM) provides a series of consistent 'movement prompts' to embed into existing movements of daily living. We explored the feasibility of incorporating CTM approaches in home care settings. Methods: Feasibility study of the CTM approach in older adults receiving home care. Recruitment, retention and attrition (three time points), adherence, costs to deliver and data loss analyzed and differentiated pre and post the COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary outcomes, including functional status, physical activity, balance confidence, quality of life, cost to implement CTM. Results: Fifty-five home care clients (69.6% of eligible sample) participated. Twenty were unable to start due to COVID-19 disruptions and health issues, leaving 35 clients recruited, mostly women (85.7%), mean age 82.8 years. COVID-19 disruption impacted on the study, there was 60% retention to T2 assessments (8-weeks) and 13 of 35 (37.1%) completed T3 assessments (6-months). There were improvements with small to medium effect sizes in quality of life, physical function, balance confidence and self-efficacy. Managers were supportive of the roll-out of CTM. The implementation cost was estimated at EUR 280 per carer and annual running costs at EUR 75 per carer. Conclusion: Embedding CTM within home support services is acceptable and feasible. Data gathered can power a definitive trial.

Knowledge about foot-specific foot falls risk factors and exercise among physiotherapists in the UK and Portugal: A cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Foot-related falls risk factors and specific foot and ankle exercise interventions are within the scope of Physiotherapy, yet little is known about United Kingdom (UK) and Portugal-based (PT) physiotherapists' self-perceived knowledge, confidence and practice of such interventions, or perceptions of patients' falls prevention knowledge. The purpose of this study was to assess levels of self-reported knowledge, confidence, and practices surrounding foot-specific falls risk and exercise for fall prevention in physiotherapists working in the UK and in Portugal. It also aimed to explore physiotherapists' views about their participants' falls prevention knowledge. METHODS: A self-report online survey was developed, and pilot tested in both nations. Registered Physiotherapists were invited to participate through their professional associations, social media and snowballing. Mann-Whitney tests were used to compare mean ranks of ordinal variables between nations and Chi-square test to assess the independency between pairs of variables. Spearman's correlation coefficient (rs) was used to measure the association between pairs of variables (p < 0.05). RESULTS: 682 physiotherapists participated in the survey [UK n = 229 (mean (SD) age = 43(10) years, 86.9% female]; PT n = 453 (mean (SD) age = 33(9) years, 78.3% female]. Among physiotherapists with a caseload of ≥70% older adults, more PT-based physiotherapists held postgraduate qualifications (p = 0.01). Most physiotherapists correctly identified generic and foot-specific risk factors (≥70% of participants for each item). More UK-based physiotherapists reported always prescribing ankle and foot exercises (42.6% vs. 33%, p =< 0.001) and displayed higher levels of self-reported confidence surrounding exercise-based interventions. DISCUSSION: Our sample of UK and Portugal-based physiotherapists are aware of the contribution of foot-specific risk factors and exercise to falls prevention, with the former group being more confident in exercise-based interventions. Both groups of physiotherapists perceived that their older patients had little knowledge about these topics, with UK older adults having slightly better knowledge on generic falls risk factors at first contact. Future studies and strategies for knowledge translation and education in foot health and foot function screening and management for physiotherapists, within a falls prevention scope, may be informed by this study.