Multicomponent Interventions Offer Little Impact on Fall Risk

THURSDAY, Sept. 24, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Multiple-component and multifactorial interventions may have little or no eﬀect on fall rate compared with usual care or attention control, exercise, or falls advice or education, according to a review published online Sept. 20 in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.Cynthia Swarnalatha, Ph.D., from University of Exeter in the United Kingdom, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the eﬀects of multifactorial and multiple-component fall prevention interventions versus usual care, attention control, exercise, and fall prevention advice or education in community-dwelling older people.Based on 110 randomized control trials (48,919 older participants), the researchers found that multifactorial fall prevention interventions may reduce the number of falls (29 studies; 9,442 people) and the risk for falling two or more times (17 studies; 4,826 people) but may have little or no eﬀect on the risk for falling at least once (38 studies; 12,774 people) versus usual care. Compared with exercise, multifactorial interventions showed uncertain evidence on impacting the number of falls and the risk for falling at least once. Compared with fall advice or education, data showed that multifactorial interventions provide no additional benefit and likely increase the number of falls by a small amount (seven studies; 9,901 people) and probably have little or no eﬀect on the risk for falling at least once (seven studies' 8,850 people) and the risk for falling two or more times (three studies; 7,865 participants). For multiple-component fall prevention interventions, findings were generally similar, showing little or no eﬀect on the number of falls (14 studies; 4,026 people), and may reduce the risk for falling at least once (19 studies; 6,925 people) versus usual care. However, the evidence was very uncertain for the risk of falling two or more times. Compared with exercise, the data revealed multiple-component interventions have little or no eﬀect on the number of falls (eight studies; 2,160 people) and the risk for falling two or more times (five studies; 874 people). The evidence also showed they probably have little or no eﬀect on the risk for falling at least once (10 studies; 2,920 people). Compared with fall advice or education, multicomponent interventions may have little or no eﬀect on the number of falls (seven studies; 9,313 people), the risk for falling at least once (eight studies; 9355 people), or the risk for falling two or more times (six studies; 8,725 people)."We've conducted the most comprehensive review of the best evidence across the world, and we were surprised to find that many of the more complex programs did not measure up," Swarnalatha said in a statement. "Providing effective education and focusing on encouraging the uptake of exercise are more simple approaches, and we also found them to have potentially the most benefit in falls prevention."Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required).Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Multicomponent Interventions Offer Little Impact on Fall Risk

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