Effects of Health Literacy Programs for Preventing Falls of Older Adults and Walking Canes in Ban Don Mee Subdistrict Health Promotion Hospital, located in Wiang Sa-at Subdistrict, Phayakkhaphumphisai District, Mahasarakham Province

Abstract

Background and Aims: Each year, over one-third of the elderly experience falls, with 50% of them experiencing recurrent falls. The walking cane is the most commonly used mobility aid, especially among the elderly. However, improper and incorrect use is prevalent. About 80% of elderly users report increased confidence in movement when using a cane. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a health literacy program on fall prevention among the elderly, combined with the use of walking canes, at Ban Don Mee Health Promoting Hospital, Wiang Sa-at Subdistrict, Phayakkhaphum Phisai District, Maha Sarakham Province.

Methodology: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a one-group pretest-posttest design over a period of 8 weeks. The sample consisted of 50 elderly individuals who were selected through purposive sampling based on specific criteria, including health screenings across nine dimensions and issues related to mobility. The research utilized the following tools: 1) a health literacy enhancement program focused on fall prevention in the elderly, combined with the use of a walking cane, 2) a personal information questionnaire for elderly participants, 3) a health literacy assessment, 4) a fall prevention behavior assessment, and 5) a balance evaluation consisting of the Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) and a four-stage balance test. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation were used for data analysis. The Paired Sample t-test was applied to compare the mean scores.

Results: The study found that after the experiment, participants showed a significant improvement in health literacy related to fall prevention (p-value<0.05). Their fall prevention behaviors also improved significantly compared to before the experiment, leading to enhanced balance abilities (p-value<0.05).

Conclusion: The implementation of a health literacy enhancement program for fall prevention in the elderly, combined with the use of walking canes, resulted in improved health literacy regarding fall prevention. This led to better fall prevention behaviors and enhanced balance ability compared to pre-intervention levels, ultimately reducing the risk of falls among elderly participants.