Matter of Balance: The Effect of Cognitive Restructuring on Confidence

Injuries are major causes of disability and death among adults aged greater than or equal to 65 years in the United States. Injuries impair older adults' quality of life and result in billions of dollars in health-care expenditures each year. An evaluative study of the adoption, effectiveness and characteristics influencing effectiveness of A Matter of Balance Volunteer Lay Leader Model (AMOB/VLL), an evidence-based falls-prevention program previously found efficacious in a randomized clinical trial (RCT). Data were examined from 431 older Texans enrolled in AMOB/VLL over a 2-year period and assessed at baseline and post intervention. Results indicate participants significantly increased falls efficacy by an average of 14.4% (p < .01), reduced activity interference due to their health by an average of 6.5% (p < .01), and decreased the number of days limited from usual activity by an average of 28.2% (p < .05). Regression models show that participants, despite entering the program with lower health status, report greater rates of positive change for falls efficacy and health interference compared with their baseline pre-intervention counterparts. Results are interpreted to demonstrate the efficacy of cognitive restructuring in fall prevention.