高齡族群平衡能力與跌倒相關性之探討

The study of the relationship between falls and balance ability in elderly people

臺灣因高齡化社會的來臨，高齡族群隨著年齡的增長，負責身體平衡的系統功能日益老化，身體平衡能力也逐漸受到影響。導致平衡缺陷而產生跌倒或與跌倒相關的傷害問題。而跌倒造成的傷害，嚴重情況會造成長期臥床或至死亡，故平衡障礙代表了一個日益嚴重的公共衛生問題，其衍生出的問題關係著國家及社會的發展。跌倒雖由許多複雜的因數引起，但高齡族群的跌倒卻是其平衡能力下降為主要因素之一，其影響因素包括肌肉力量與柔韌性的下降、關節活動性導致步態的改變、感覺運動的協調性下降與中樞神經延緩等等。為預防高齡族群跌倒，本文透過國內外文獻進行分析探討，研究證實高齡族群藉由運動訓練介入有助於高齡族群平衡及反應能力之改善。若安排合理的運動訓練處方，除了減少跌倒機率，尚可協助高齡族群預防疾病、延伸高齡族群更有品質的老年生活。

With the advent of an aging society in Taiwan, the elderly people grow older and their bodily systems responsible for body balance are gradually aging. As a result, their body balance ability has been greatly affected. Balance deficits can easily cause falls and fall-related injuries to the elderly people, leading to long-term bedridden conditions or even deaths in severe cases. Therefore, balance disorders represent an increasingly serious problem in public health care, and the derived problems are closely related to the development of the country and society. The decline of balance ability is one of the major factors that contribute to the falls of elderly people, despite a number of other complex factors. It can lead to decreased muscle strength and flexibility, changes of joint mobility and gait, decreased sensorimotor coordination, central nervous system retardation, etc. In order to prevent elderly people from falling, this study analyzed and investigated domestic and foreign literature. It found that the intervention of exercise training in the health care of elderly people can help them improve their balance abilities and responsive systems. A reasonable exercise training can reduce the probability of falls for the elderly; in addition, it can help the elderly prevent diseases, creating an elderly life of better quality.