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Latest Research
Research Details
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| Research Title: |
Older people playing ball: What is the risk of falling and injury? |
| Type of Research: |
Publication Articles |
| Category: |
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| Keywords: |
Older people, Lifeball, Falls, Aged, Female, Rules
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| Author(s): |
Lisa Barnett, Sue Green, Eric van Beurden, Elizabeth Campbell, Deborah Radvan |
| Author(s) Bio Box: |
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| Release Date: |
25 June 2009 |
| Research Summary/Text: |
Lifeball is a growing sport, with an estimated average of 1000 players per week playing in 73 groups in four states of Australia in mid-2007. It is designed for older people to encourage physical movement and teamwork. It involves walking, passing and throwing, with two opposing teams aiming to advance the ball to score a goal. Its rules are intended to reduce the risk of injury and include: no body contact, only walking forward, throwing no higher than opponents’ shoulders and goal posts lower than those for netball or basketball. Two hundred and sixty-three people participated in the study which used self-reported telephone survey at baseline and at twelve months to collect information about demographics, physical activity, falls and injury, experience of Lifeball and health status and quality of life. Other sources of information were incident reports and attendance records.
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| Research Objectives: |
This study investigates the incidence, nature and rate of falls and injuries experienced during Lifeball in regional and rural NSW, Australia.
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| Research Outcomes: |
Most research participants were female and aged from 40 to 96 years (mean 67). In a twelve month period ending in 2005, the falls rate per 100 participants was 8.7 and the injury rate was 10.3.
Twenty participants (7.6%) had experienced at least one fall while playing Lifeball, with a total of 23 falls. Of these, 10 falls required medical care. Falls were attributed to a trip or stumble (involving a person’s own or another person’s feet), rushing, over-extending when catching a ball, stuck feet or walking backwards. There were no significant variables in predicting whether a person would fall or not in Lifeball, for example age or previous falls. All players who reported a fall during participation in Lifeball had their fall after they had played at least five games.
Injuries mostly involved bruising, pain and/or strains, cuts or grazes, however dislocation, torn tendons or broken bones occurred in several cases. Knee injuries were the most common (7 people). The majority of injuries were new and not the result of re-injury.
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| Research Implications: |
Lifeball rules such as “no walking backwards” or “no rushing” and recommendations such as “no overextension when catching” are well founded and should continue to be enforced. It is possible that Lifeball players gain speed and become more competitive after playing the sport for a while and injuries are then more likely to occur. Ongoing education regarding rules and recommendations should be considered.
Screening people on the basis of previous falls or self-rated risk of falls may not be effective.
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