Baseline five-times sit-to-stand and functional reach were associated with falls in adults aged 50 years and older in Saudi Arabia: a nine-month prospective cohort study

Aims To examine the association between baseline physical performance measures with retrospective baseline fall and fall frequency and prospective falls. Methods This prospective study included community adults aged >= 50 years. Outcomes included retrospective baseline fall history and frequency, and prospective fall and fall frequency at the 4-5- and 8-9-month follow-up. Baseline measures included the 5-Times Sit-to-Stand (5xSTS[s]), Functional Reach Test (FRT[cm]), 6-Minute Walk Test (6MWT[m]), 10-Meter Walk Test (10-MWT[m]), and Timed-Up and Go (TUG[s]). Results Of 211 participants, 12.3% reported >= 1 retrospective baseline falls. During the prospective follow-up, 8.8% and 14.1% reported falls at 4-5 and 8-9 months. Slower 5xSTS was associated with the retrospective baseline fall (OR:1.07, p = 0.001) and prospective falls at 8-9 months (OR: 1.07, p = 0.004). A shorter FRT was associated with retrospective baseline fall history (OR: 0.96, p = 0.034) and prospective falls at 4-5 (OR: 0.94, p < 0.001) and 8-9 months (OR: 0.97, p = 0.042). Slower 5xSTS was associated with higher retrospective baseline fall frequency (IRR:1.06, p = 0.001) and prospective fall frequency at 8-9 months (IRR: 1.06, p < 0.001). Shorter FRT was associated with retrospective baseline fall frequency (IRR: 0.97, p = 0.04) and prospective fall frequency at 4-5 months (IRR: 0.95, p < 0.001). Conclusion Poor 5xSTS performance was associated with retrospective baseline fall history and prospective falls at 8-9 months. Decreased FRT was associated with retrospective baseline fall history and prospective falls at all time points, whereas its association with fall frequency was limited to retrospective baseline and prospective falls at 4-5 months.