NCT07524361

Brief Summary

Falls in older adults are a public health crisis, as 30% of older adults fall each year, with a mortality rate of 78%.1 Fall-related healthcare costs are over 50 billion dollars.1 Therefore, preventing older adults from falling is important in both individual and public health aspects by increasing their quality of life and reducing healthcare costs. However, the current fall-prevention exercise programs have a limitation in maintaining exercise adherence behaviors or increasing physical activities once the intervention is completed.2 The theory-based exercise program shows a higher adherence and retention rate.3,4 Taekwondo (TKD), one type of martial arts, can be a potential channel to deliver a theory-based fall prevention exercise program. Therefore, this study aims to test the feasibility of the potential 12 Taekwondo-based fall prevention exercise program for older adults and its preliminary efficacy using a randomized controlled trial.

Trial Health

75
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
20

participants targeted

Target at P25-P50 for early_phase_1

Timeline
8mo left

Started Jan 2026

Shorter than P25 for early_phase_1

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
active not recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

Study Progress33%
Jan 2026Dec 2026

Study Start

First participant enrolled

January 13, 2026

Completed
1 month until next milestone

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

February 23, 2026

Completed
2 months until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 13, 2026

Completed
6 months until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

September 30, 2026

Expected
3 months until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

December 31, 2026

Last Updated

April 13, 2026

Status Verified

April 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

9 months

First QC Date

February 23, 2026

Last Update Submit

April 6, 2026

Conditions

Taekwondo-based Fall Prevention Exercise ConditionFall Prevention Education Control Condition

Keywords

Fall prevention exerciseOlder adultsRandomized controlled trialPhysical ActivityFeasibility

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (7)

  • Recruitment Feasibility

    The number of participants enrolled in the study per month; The number of participants who provided consent over the eligible participants.

    Post-intervention at week 7.

  • Intervention Satisfaction

    8-item questionnaire with 7-point Likert (adapted from Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale). The response scale ranges from 1-7, spanning from the lowest degree (=1) to the highest degree (=7).

    Post intervention at week 7

  • Perceived feasibility

    Using 5 points Likert Scale, and the response scale is (1): Completely disagree; (3) Neither agree or disagree; to (5): Completely agree. These items ask about participants' perceived program acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility

    Post intervention at week 7

  • Intervention fidelity

    Fidelity checklist scored by the independent rater

    Every exercise session

  • Adherence rate

    Number of sessions each participant attended / total sessions provided (i.e., 12)

    Post intervention (At Week 7)

  • Intention to reparticipate

    Use 4-item questionnaire with 5-point Likert Scale. The response scale is (1): Strongly disagree; (3) Neither agree or disagree, to Maximum (5): Strongly agree

    Post intervention (At Week 7)

  • Adverse event

    The number of grade 1 adverse events occurred across all exercise sessions.

    Anytime during the intervention period

Secondary Outcomes (3)

  • Physical function

    Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

  • Fear of falling

    Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

  • Activity and Sedentary fragmentation

    Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 7)

Study Arms (2)

Taekwondo exercise arm

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will received 12 sessions of Taekwondo-based fall prevention exercises. The exercise will be delivered twice a week for 6-weeks at the local recreational center. Each sessions includes three components: static and dynamic stretching warm-up, basic Taekwondo movement exercises, and kicking exercises. Static and dynamic warm-up was developed based on the evidence-based fall prevention exercise, The Otago Exercise Program. The basic Taekwondo movement exercises include three basic stances (walking, front, and horse riding stances) , and hand movements (low, middle, and high block, and middle punch). Kicking exercise includes target kicking using front kicks.

Behavioral: Fall prevention exercise using Taekwondo

Fall prevention education arm

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will received the Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall Prevention online education program. It includes three modules. Module1 has three sessions that providing overview of fall prevention such as fall statistics, and preventable risk factors. Module2 has eight sessions that provides tips to ensure home safety for fall prevention. Module3 has 12 sessions that provides tips for personal safety from nutrition to mental health. Participants will complete this module at their own pace, and report their progress through email or text message each week.

Behavioral: Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall Prevention

Interventions

Fall prevention exercise using TaekwondoBEHAVIORAL

Current fall-prevention exercise programs have a limitation in maintaining exercise adherence behaviors or increasing physical activities once the intervention is completed.2 The theory-based exercise program shows a higher adherence and retention rate.3,4 Taekwondo (TKD), one type of martial arts, can be a potential channel to deliver a theory-based fall prevention exercise program. Therefore, this study aims to test the feasibility of the potential 12 Taekwondo-based fall prevention exercise program for older adults and its preliminary efficacy using RCT.

Taekwondo exercise arm
Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall PreventionBEHAVIORAL

Live Strong and Safe Program on Fall Prevention online education includes three modules. Module1 has three sessions that provide overview of fall prevention such as fall statistics, and preventable risk factors. Module2 has eight sessions that provide tips to ensure the home safety for fall prevention. Module3 has 12 sessions that provide tips for personal safety from nutrition to mental health. Participants will complete this module at their own pace, and report their progress through email or text message each week.

Fall prevention education arm

Eligibility Criteria

Age55 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • Older adults ages 55 and above
  • Adequate physical ability to perform walking independently
  • Able to use a smartphone app without assistance
  • Capable of providing informed consent
  • Agree to be randomized to the group

You may not qualify if:

  • Plan to have surgery or relocate outside the area within the next 3 months
  • Currently participate in other studies involving physical activity or fall-prevention research studies
  • Frail older adults screened by the FRAIL questionnaire

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

University of South Carolina

Columbia, South Carolina, 29201, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

  • Judy A. Stevens, Elizabeth R. Burns. A CDC Compendium of Effective Fall Interventions: What Works for Community-Dwelling Older Adults. 3rd Ed. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control; 2015.

    BACKGROUND

  • Webb TL, Joseph J, Yardley L, Michie S. Using the internet to promote health behavior change: a systematic review and meta-analysis of the impact of theoretical basis, use of behavior change techniques, and mode of delivery on efficacy. J Med Internet Res. 2010 Feb 17;12(1):e4. doi: 10.2196/jmir.1376.

    PMID: 20164043BACKGROUND

  • Prestwich A, Sniehotta FF, Whittington C, Dombrowski SU, Rogers L, Michie S. Does theory influence the effectiveness of health behavior interventions? Meta-analysis. Health Psychol. 2014 May;33(5):465-74. doi: 10.1037/a0032853. Epub 2013 Jun 3.

    PMID: 23730717BACKGROUND

  • Florence CS, Bergen G, Atherly A, Burns E, Stevens J, Drake C. Medical Costs of Fatal and Nonfatal Falls in Older Adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2018 Apr;66(4):693-698. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15304. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

    PMID: 29512120BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Motor Activity

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavior

Study Officials

  • Chih-Hsiang Yang, PhD

    2. University of South Carolina

    STUDY CHAIR

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
early phase 1
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Model Details: RCT
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
PI Title
Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

February 23, 2026

First Posted

April 13, 2026

Study Start

January 13, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

September 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 31, 2026

Last Updated

April 13, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will not share

The study will be conducted from a restricted area and the participants will be recruited from local senior centers, which has high risk of identifying the personal information of study participants.

Locations

US(1)