The Impact of a Fall Prevention Education Program on Falls-related Knowledge, Prevention Behavior, and Falls Efficacy

Purpose: This study aimed to verify the effectiveness of a fall prevention program for older adult patients hospitalized in an acute general hospital, as well as to provide data for fall prevention among this population.Methods: A total of 29 participants in the experimental group and 29 participants in the control group took part in this survey. After the intervention, the mean difference in fall prevention knowledge was 4.69 for the experimental group and -0.52 for the control group (t=7.761, p<.001). Fall prevention behavior was 7.52 for the experimental group and 4.24 for the control group (t=3.888, p<.001), and fall prevention efficacy was 11.90 for the experimental group and -0.28 for the control group (t=8.309, p<.001).All results showed statistically significant differences, indicating that the fall prevention education program was effective.Results: The homogeneity test of the two groups for each item showed no significant differences. In the experimental group, fall-related knowledge (t=-9.430, p<.001), fall prevention behavior (t=-12.905, p<.001), and fall efficacy (t=-7.313, p<.001) were all significant. In the control group, fall prevention behavior (t=-5.478, p<.001) was significant, while fallrelated knowledge (t=.653, p=.517) and fall efficacy (t=.169, p=.866) were not considered significant. The post-intervention results of the two groups showed that the experimental group had greater fall prevention knowledge (t=6.996, p<.001), fall prevention behavior (t=-2.762, p=.008), and fall prevention efficacy (t=7.797, p<.001) than the control group.Conclusion: Based on these results, it is necessary to develop and implement a fall prevention program for patients at medical institutions to actively participate in which older adult patients at each medical institution can actively participate.