Self-reported Fall Risk with the Stop Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) Questionnaire in an Early Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Population

Authors

Daniel L. Enriquez, Mayo Clinic School of Health SciencesFollow
Jon Vimmerstedt D.O., Mayo Clinic School of Health SciencesFollow
Frank T. Paul III, Mayo Clinic School of Health SciencesFollow
Zeyu Song M.S., Midwestern UniversityFollow
Bryan J. Taylor Ph.D., FACSM, Mayo Clinic-FloridaFollow
Casey L. Filler M.S., Mayo Clinic-ArizonaFollow
Kaitlin E. Moore M.S., Mayo Clinic-ArizonaFollow
Molly C. Tomah M.S., Mayo Clinic-ArizonaFollow
Regis I. Fernandes M.D., Mayo Clinic-ArizonaFollow
Mike Studer PT, DPT, FAPTA, Touro UniversityFollow
Robert Scales Ph.D., M.S., Mayo Clinic-ArizonaFollow

Abstract

An age-related decline in musculoskeletal health and physical function (PF) may contribute to frailty and lead to increased fall risk (FR). Traditional cardiac rehabilitation (CR) programs prioritize aerobic exercise conditioning with less emphasis on FR screening and prevention with related individualized PF training. PURPOSE: This study evaluated the prevalence of self-reported FR among patients enrolled in an early outpatient CR program. METHODS: Fifty-one adults (80% male; age 74.9 ± 6.7 years) agreed to complete the screening portion of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Stop Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) tool kit, which consisted of 12 “Yes” or “No” questions. Participants were stratified into Minimal to No Risk (MNR; ≤4 points), Moderate to High Risk (MHR; 5-7 points), or High to Severe Risk (HSR; ≥8 points) of falling. Individuals who scored. RESULTS: The group mean STEADI score was 3.0 ± 2.7 on a 1-12 scale. Twenty-eight (55%) participants were categorized as MNR of falling, 20 (39%) were MHR, and 3 (6%) were HSR. Four of the individuals in the MHR scored ≤4 but were reclassified from the MNR due to a reported history of falling in the past year (n=2) or reported unsteadiness when walking (n=2). CONCLUSIONS: With almost half of the sample indicating that they were at risk of falling, screening for FR with surveys may provide useful information encouraging CR professionals to take precautions and design interventions to help prevent related injuries.

Recommended Citation

Enriquez, Daniel L.; Vimmerstedt, Jon D.O.; Paul, Frank T. III; Song, Zeyu M.S.; Taylor, Bryan J. Ph.D., FACSM; Filler, Casey L. M.S.; Moore, Kaitlin E. M.S.; Tomah, Molly C. M.S.; Fernandes, Regis I. M.D.; Studer, Mike PT, DPT, FAPTA; and Scales, Robert Ph.D., M.S. (2024) "Self-reported Fall Risk with the Stop Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries (STEADI) Questionnaire in an Early Outpatient Cardiac Rehabilitation Population," International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 14: Iss. 4, Article 9.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol14/iss4/9