Promoting adherence with exercise-based falls prevention programmes

Strength and balance training is widely accepted as an important part of a multi-factorial falls prevention programme. Despite the growing body of research evidence to support the efficacy of exercise-based falls prevention strategies, however, their success in a clinical setting is often limited by poor adherence in falls prevention and presents a number of psychological models (Theory of Planned Behaviour, Protection Motivation Theory and Social Cognitive Theory) which have been proposed as suitable frameworks to explain exercise behaviour in older adults. The authors review the research literature regarding adherence with exercise-based falls prevention programmes and discuss the implications for clinical practice. They conclude by suggesting that successful participation with falls prevention strategies must be viewed as a form of long term behaviour change by patients and practitioners. Further research must focus on identifying the factors which influence adherence within recognised theoretical paradigms and provide clinicians with strategies to empower older people to participate successfully in exercise-based falls prevention programmes.