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Research article
Does long-term recreational gymnastics prevent injurious falls in older women? A prospective 20-year follow-up
Kirsti Uusi-Rasi
The UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2892-8559
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Geriatrics.
Background: Exercise interventions focused on balance and strength training have been shown to be effective for falls prevention. The aim of this 20-year register-based follow-up was to examine whether long-term participation in recreational female gymnastics is associated with a lower risk of medically-attended injurious falls.Methods : Health care register data of 187 women (103 recreational gymnasts and 84 sedentary controls) from the original cohort of 243 women were assessed. The mean age (sd) at baseline was 62.8 (5.4) years and the mean follow-up time was 19.4 (2.7) years (range from 5.6 to 21.0 years). Injurious falls were scrutinized from medical records. An injurious fall was defined as an event in which falling was mentioned as a reason for making contact with the health-care professionals. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for injurious falls, and Cox-regression models for calculating hazard ratios (HR) for injured fallers with the control group as reference.Results Recreational gymnasts had about 30% less injurious falls compared to controls, the mean IRR (95% CI) being 0.71 (0.51 to 0.96). Regarding injured fallers, the HR was 0.73 (0.52 to 1.02) favoring the recreational gymnasts. There were no statistically significant between-group differences for fractures.Conclusion s: Long-term recreational gymnastics appears to reduce the risk of injurious falls in old age.
Keywords
exercise, physical activity, falls, fractures, older women
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On 13 Jan, 2020
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On 09 Jan, 2020
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Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Jan, 2020
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Received 06 Jan, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 02 Jan, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 02 Jan, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 27 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2019
Editor assigned
On 15 Dec, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 14 Dec, 2019
Editor invited
On 14 Dec, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 25 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 21 Nov, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 14 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 07 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 23 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 22 Oct, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 20 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 14 Oct, 2019
Editor invited
On 13 Oct, 2019
First submitted
On 11 Oct, 2019
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Subject Areas
Geriatrics & Gerontology
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This preprint is under consideration at BMC Geriatrics. A preprint is a preliminary version of a manuscript that has not completed peer review at a journal. Research Square does not conduct peer review prior to posting preprints. The posting of a preprint on this server should not be interpreted as an endorsement of its validity or suitability for dissemination as established information or for guiding clinical practice.
Learn more about In Review
Research article
Does long-term recreational gymnastics prevent injurious falls in older women? A prospective 20-year follow-up
Kirsti Uusi-Rasi
The UKK Institute for Health Promotion Research
Corresponding Author
ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2892-8559
Badges
Prescreen
This manuscript passed our Prescreen assessment
Complete author information
Appropriate declaration statements
Potential risks to human health
Prescreen
Peer Review Timeline
CURRENT STATUS: Published
Published
On 01 Feb, 2020
No community comments so far
Submission checks complete
On 15 Jan, 2020
Editorial decision: Accept
On 14 Jan, 2020
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 13 Jan, 2020
Editor assigned
On 10 Jan, 2020
Submission checks complete
On 09 Jan, 2020
Editor invited
On 09 Jan, 2020
Version 2
Posted 18 Dec, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Minor revision
On 08 Jan, 2020
Review #1 received
Received 06 Jan, 2020
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 02 Jan, 2020
Review #2 received
Received 02 Jan, 2020
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 27 Dec, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 27 Dec, 2019
Editor assigned
On 15 Dec, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 14 Dec, 2019
Editor invited
On 14 Dec, 2019
No comments provided
Editorial decision: Major revision
On 25 Nov, 2019
Review #1 received
Received 21 Nov, 2019
Review #2 received
Received 14 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #2 agreed
On 07 Nov, 2019
Reviewer #1 agreed
On 23 Oct, 2019
Reviewers invited
Invitations sent on 22 Oct, 2019
Submission checks complete
On 20 Oct, 2019
Editor assigned
On 14 Oct, 2019
Editor invited
On 13 Oct, 2019
First submitted
On 11 Oct, 2019
Metrics
Comments: 0
PDF Downloads: ...
HTML Views: ...
Subject Areas
Geriatrics & Gerontology
License:
This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License. Read Full License
View the published version at BMC Geriatrics.
Background: Exercise interventions focused on balance and strength training have been shown to be effective for falls prevention. The aim of this 20-year register-based follow-up was to examine whether long-term participation in recreational female gymnastics is associated with a lower risk of medically-attended injurious falls.Methods : Health care register data of 187 women (103 recreational gymnasts and 84 sedentary controls) from the original cohort of 243 women were assessed. The mean age (sd) at baseline was 62.8 (5.4) years and the mean follow-up time was 19.4 (2.7) years (range from 5.6 to 21.0 years). Injurious falls were scrutinized from medical records. An injurious fall was defined as an event in which falling was mentioned as a reason for making contact with the health-care professionals. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate incidence rate ratios (IRR) for injurious falls, and Cox-regression models for calculating hazard ratios (HR) for injured fallers with the control group as reference.Results Recreational gymnasts had about 30% less injurious falls compared to controls, the mean IRR (95% CI) being 0.71 (0.51 to 0.96). Regarding injured fallers, the HR was 0.73 (0.52 to 1.02) favoring the recreational gymnasts. There were no statistically significant between-group differences for fractures.Conclusion s: Long-term recreational gymnastics appears to reduce the risk of injurious falls in old age.
Figure 1
Figure 2