Rationale, Design, and Baseline Characteristics of the TARGET (Targeted Assessment and Recruitment of Geriatrics for Effective Fall Prevention Treatments) Cohort of Older Adults for Assessing Fall and Fracture Risk: Prospective Cohort Study
Abstract
Background: Falls and fractures are a major clinical concern for older adults. International clinical guidelines recommend annual fall risk screening for all adults aged 60 years and older. However, existing falls risk-screening algorithms have shown limited sensitivity and specificity in detecting future falls. Emerging health technologies, including wearable sensors, in-silico finite element models (FEMs), and virtual reality (VR) technology, show promise in enhancing fall and fracture risk assessments by providing more personalized objective data to support targeted primary prevention. However, large-scale longitudinal studies are required to evaluate their predictive accuracy and cost-effectiveness for systematic community-based screening.
Objective: The TARGET (Targeted Assessment and Recruitment of Geriatrics for Effective Fall Prevention Treatments) study is an ongoing national prospective cohort study in Singapore designed to develop cost-effective and scalable frameworks for the early detection and prevention of falls and fractures using novel health technologies. This paper describes the rationale, design, and baseline characteristics of TARGET, and provides preliminary insights into how these novel technologies perform in discriminating between older adults with and with no history of falls at study baseline.
Methods: A total of 2291 community-dwelling Singapore residents aged ≥60 years were enrolled between 2022 and 2024. Participants underwent a comprehensive…
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Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence.
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