Falls are an unexpected event in which an individual experiences a loss of balance, spontaneously or due to an external stimuli, and comes to rest on the floor. Accidental falls are the most common cause of non-fatal injury in the United States. This dissertation investigated fall risk factors in two populations with emerging fall risk, people with obesity and people living with HIV. First, we studied how weight loss four and eight months after bariatric surgery affected psychosocial factors related to fall risk like gait self-efficacy and fear of falling. Results indicated that psychosocial factors do not change after surgery. However, both four and eight months after surgery, higher gait self-efficacy and lower of fear of falling were correlated with longer and faster steps. Second, we studied how participants with obesity crossed obstacles while seated during an exergame task compared to controls. We found that participants with obesity hit more obstacles than controls. Third, we described a fall prevention intervention protocol for people living with HIV and alcohol use. The intervention contained three components, virtual group sessions, phone check-ins and home exercises to address the motor, psychosocial, and environmental risk factors associated with falling. Taken together, this dissertation continues to push the research forward in best ways to decrease fall risk through physical activity participation and inform future interventions. / 2024-09-01T00:00:00Z
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bu.edu/oai:open.bu.edu:2144/45090 |
| Date | 01 September 2022 |
| Creators | Shin, Danny Dongmin |
| Contributors | Gill, Simone V. |
| Source Sets | Boston University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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