An interventional study of Intervention in Fall Risk, sponsored by Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre. Not yet recruiting at 1 site in Brazil. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-09-18.
Sponsored by Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
Falls are an important health problem, especially among adults and older people who are hospitalized, because they can cause injuries, increase the length of hospital stay, and make it more difficult to perform daily activities. In psychiatric inpatient units, the risk of falls may be higher due to medication use, changes in attention and thinking, balance difficulties, reduced muscle strength, and lower awareness of the risk of falling.
This study aims to evaluate whether a physical exercise program can help patients hospitalized in a psychiatric unit improve their ability to perform movements and daily activities and reduce their risk of falls. The study will include 46 adult and older patients of both sexes who have a moderate or high risk of falls.
Participants will be randomly divided into two groups. One group will continue with the physical activities that are normally part of the unit's routine. The other group will participate in an organized exercise program, including aerobic exercises, muscle-strengthening exercises, and balance exercises. The exercises will be performed two to three times per week, for at least six sessions.
Before and after the program, assessments will be carried out to evaluate the participants' physical ability and risk of falls. It is expected that the exercises will help patients improve their physical performance and contribute to preventing falls during hospitalization.
Falls represent an important public health problem, especially among hospitalized adult and older patients, due to the risk of injuries, increased length of hospital stay, loss of functional capacity, and worsening of the clinical condition. In psychiatric inpatient units (PIUs), this risk becomes even more relevant due to factors such as the use of psychotropic medications, cognitive impairments, balance deficits, reduced muscle strength, and low risk perception. Although the benefits of physical exercise on functional capacity are widely described in the literature, studies investigating its direct relationship with fall prevention in hospitalized psychiatric patients are still scarce. In this context, the present study aims to develop and implement a physical exercise program for patients hospitalized in a PIU, evaluating its effects on functional capacity and fall risk. This is a randomized controlled clinical trial, with two arms (control group and intervention group), to be conducted in a PIU of a large hospital in the southern region of Brazil. The sample will consist of 46 adult and older patients of both sexes, classified as having moderate or high risk of falls, according to the SAKp Fall Risk Scale. Participants will be randomized into blocks of six individuals. The control group will follow the unit's usual physical exercise routine, while the intervention group will participate in a systematized program of aerobic, resistance, and balance exercises, performed two to three times per week, totaling at least six sessions. Assessments will be performed before and after the intervention using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) and Calf Circumference (CC). The primary outcome will be improvement in functional capacity and, as a secondary outcome, reduction in fall risk. It is expected that the intervention will contribute to improving the functional performance of hospitalized patients, assisting in fall prevention.
Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre is the lead sponsor of 456 studies on the registry; 61 are open to participants now.
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You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Informed consent
Before you join, the study team explains what taking part involves — its purpose, what happens, the risks and possible benefits — and answers your questions, so you can decide freely. Consent is usually recorded on a form (the informed consent form, ICF) signed by you or, where the law allows, by someone legally authorised to decide for you.
You can keep asking questions during the study, you are told of new information that matters, and you can choose to leave at any time.
Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.
The intervention group will undergo a systematized physical training program two to three times per week, totaling at least six sessions throughout the hospitalization period, with a duration of 20 to 30 minutes per session.
Other: Intervention
The control group will follow the existing physical activity routine.
The program will be carried out in the unit's gym and will include aerobic, resistance, and balance exercises. Sessions will begin with 5 to 10 minutes of aerobic exercise on a cycle ergometer, followed by step-up and step-down exercises, lateral stepping, standing hip flexion with ankle weights, squats, and single-leg balance on a balance disc. The exercises will be performed in two sets of 10 repetitions, except for single-leg balance, which will be performed in two 20-second sets. Exercise execution and progression will be adapted to each patient's clinical and functional conditions.
Functional capacity
The primary outcome is an improvement in functional capacity, assessed using the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB). The instrument evaluates three components: balance, lower-limb strength, and gait performance. The total score ranges from 0 to 12 points and is classified as follows: 0-3 points: disability; 4-6 points: low physical performance; 7-9 points: moderate physical performance; and 10-12 points: good physical performance.
Time frame: 15 days
Calf Circumference
Calf circumference is used to assess muscle mass and predict physical and functional impairments. The cutoff point for this measurement ranges from 31-35 cm in women and 33-34 cm in men. The measurement is performed with the patient seated, at the largest circumference of the calf, with the leg positioned at a 90° angle.
Time frame: 15 days
Fall Risk Score
Fall risk will be measured using the Severo-Almeida-Kuchembecker (SAK) Fall Risk Scale, which comprises seven variables: disorientation/confusion, frequent urination, gait impairment, absence of a companion, postoperative status and/or undergoing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), number of medications administered within 24 hours, and history of falls. The scoring ranges are: 0-6, low fall risk; 6.5-10, moderate risk; and ≥10.5, high risk. The SAK will be administered immediately after the patient is accepted into the study and again right after the six sessions of the exercise program.
Time frame: 15 days
Plan to share: No
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Start is estimated for Oct 2026; primary completion for Dec 2026, 2 months later.
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