Assessing Fall Risk on Stairs
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigation of Fall Risk Factors to Predict Future Falls on Stairs
IRAS ID
216671
Contact name
Thijs MA Ackermans
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Liverpool John Moores University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
For older people, a fall is the most prominent cause for injury and loss of independence (Tinetti & Williams, 1997). In particular, stair negotiation is amongst the most demanding and hazardous types of locomotion tasks for elderly (Startzell et al., 2000). In the UK, NHS falls prevention services use the Fall Risk Assessment Tool (FRAT) as a screening tool to identify those at risk of a fall. FRAT is based on five risk factors: falls within the previous year, four or more medications, diagnosis of stroke or Parkinson’s disease, self-reported balance problems, inability to rise from a chair. Positive identification of any three of the five risk factors above is the cut-off for an older person being “at risk” and thus referred to the falls service. A positive FRAT score can predict a 57% fall rate within six months of assessment, however 14% of people with a negative score also had a fall in that time (Nandy et al., 2004). There is no evidence that the FRAT is sensitive and specific to the particular risks of stair falls. Stair climbing is a uniquely challenging task requiring skilled movements as well as strength in a widely varying environment. This project aims to 1) identify the risk factors for a stair fall and establish appropriate screening assessments and 2) understand the strategies older adults adopt when negotiating higher risk stair designs. We will use a prospective design to determine stair falls risks, by measuring initial biomechanics and gaze behaviour during negotiation of staircases of varying dimensions (also allowing us to achieve aim 2). Participants will then be followed for a year to record instances of stair trips or falls. Subsequently, baseline data will be analysed to identify the (combination of) factors that distinguish stair fallers from non-fallers.
REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/NW/0118
Date of REC Opinion
4 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion