2023, Volume 19, Issue 1
Predictive validity of STBIDF (the susceptibility test to the body injuries during the fall) – two methodological aspects
Bartłomiej Gąsienica Walczak1, Artur Kalina2
1Health Institute, University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Targ, Nowy Targ, Poland
2Plus-Rehabilitation Services Ltd., Cristal Lake, United States
Author for correspondence: Bartłomiej Gąsienica Walczak; Health Institute, University of Applied Sciences in Nowy Targ, Nowy Targ, Poland; email: bartlomiej.gasienica@ppuz.edu.pl
Full text
Abstract
Background & Study Aim: Fall-related injuries may be fatal or non-fatal. For each fall mortality event, there are 136 other fall injuries that require treatments in hospital emergency. One of the elements of the 'Polish School of Safe Falling' safe falling program is the aspect phenomena of the susceptibility of body injuries during the fall (SFI). Aim of this study was knowledge about predictive validity of SFI method based on the multi-aspect association of the results of motor simulations with two sets of adults – declaring body injuries as a result of an unintentional fall in the past and declaring the lack of such experience.
Material & Methods: The study was conducted on 213 people (123 women, 90 men), physiotherapy and physical education students. Age 21.29 ±0.85, body height 173.88 ±9.19 cm, body weight 67.99 ±13.19 kg, BMI 22.32 ±3.01.
The SFI was tested using non-apparatus STBIDF (three motoric tasks performed on a soft surface). Any incorrect contact head, hands, hips, leg with surface were documenting by the error of the first degree (1 point) or the second degree (2 points), and no errors “0”. SFI evaluation in a general sense is based on four levels: low (0), average (1–3), high (4–8), very high (9–14). The measure of susceptibility of the predetermined parts of the body to injuries (SBPIDF) is the sum of the points from all tasks analysed separately for each part of the body: low (0), average (1), high (2–6). Indicators were correlated: SFI; N students; FISS (Fall Injury Severity Scale); CHEF (comprehensive health effects of fall).
Results: The average STBIDF (SFIindex) result of the surveyed students declaring trauma in the past (n = 160, which equals 75.12% of the total) was 8.22 ±2.67 points (borderline between medium and high levels). Among this group of people, the body part most exposed to damage (SBPIDF) was the head (average proportion 72.29%), and the least exposed to damage was the legs (22.81%). The result SBPIDF of students who did not declare any bodily injuries (n = 53) was as follows: hands 72.64%; legs 27.36%. In both fractions, fewer students made errors with using their heads than with their hands (by 4.4% and 9.4%).
Conclusions: The only factor that influences fall injury for people unprepared for this type of event is the extreme nature of the circumstances of the event. Very high correlation of quantitative and qualitative SFI indicators with the health effects of falls (CHEF) is the most important empirical argument that universal prevention of bodily injuries and death caused by falls should begin before the stage of school education. We associate the problem of actually reducing these extreme events throughout ontogeny with improving tools measuring SFI phenomena and creating new ones that can also be used in research on elderly and disabled people.
Key words: cognitive-behavioural potential, innovative agonology, motor modifications, pre- test
