REVIEW article
Front. Public Health
Sec. Aging and Public Health
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1522952
This article is part of the Research TopicMultifactorial balance assessment, falls prevention and rehabilitationView all 11 articles
The Otago Exercise Program's Effect on Fall Prevention: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Provisionally accepted
CHENYU WANG
Sung Min Kim*- Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Objectives:This study aims to compare the effectiveness of the Otago Exercise Program (OEP) in fall prevention between generally healthy older adults and those with compromised health conditions, assessing which group benefits more from the intervention.Design: This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of the OEP in fall prevention among general older adults and older adults with compromised health, including individuals at high risk of falls, cognitive impairment, musculoskeletal disorders, or frailty syndrome.Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, and Embase, following strict eligibility criteria. Data extraction, risk of bias assessment, and meta-analysis were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the intervention.Results: Fifteen studies with 1,278 participants were included. The OEP significantly improved balance (WMD = 0.15, 95% CI [-0.05, 0.35]), gait (WMD = 0.49, 95% CI [0.18, 0.80]), and lower limb strength (WMD = 0.84, 95% CI [0.61, 1.07]) in general older adults. The effects were more pronounced in older adults with compromised health, particularly in gait, particularly in gait (WMD = 0.92, 95% CI [0.13, 1.72]) and lower limb strength (WMD = 2.24, 95% CI [1.04, 3.45]). However, the OEP did not significantly improve physical function or upper limb strength in either group.The OEP effectively improves balance, gait, and lower limb strength, especially in older adults with compromised health. However, it does not significantly impact physical function or upper limb strength. This study has limitations, including potential bias, study heterogeneity, and variations in interventions, which may affect result reliability. A cautious interpretation is needed, and future research should focus on analyzing diverse populations and ensuring adequately sized samples to enhance the reliability of the findings.
Keywords: Otago exercise, Elderly, Meta-analysis, fall, prevention
Received: 11 Nov 2024; Accepted: 21 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 WANG and Kim. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Sung Min Kim, Hanyang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.