Abstract
Introduction: Falls are a leading cause of injury, functional decline, loss of independence, hospitalization, and mortality among older adults in the United States. Approximately 25% of adults aged 65 years and older experience a fall yearly, resulting in $50 billion in annual healthcare costs. Many falls are preventable. Evidence supports educational interventions may improve fall-related self-efficacy and reduces fall risk. Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of a nurse-led fall prevention education program incorporating the CDC’s Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths & Injuries (STEADI) toolkit in improving fall-related self-efficacy and reducing fall risk among community-dwelling older adults. Methodology: This project utilized a quasi-experimental, single-group pretest–posttest design and was implemented at a senior center. Twenty-three participants completed baseline assessments and attended a STEADI-based educational intervention. A subset of participants completed post-intervention surveys and were included in matched pre–post analyses. Outcome measures included the Falls Efficacy Scale–International, the CDC Stay Independent questionnaire, confidence and behavioral intent measures, and qualitative open-ended responses. Results: Quantitative analyses demonstrated limited statistically significant short-term changes across most fall risk measures, with a significant reduction observed in fear of falling related to walking on slopes. Participants reported high confidence in their ability to prevent falls and a moderate likelihood of implementing prevention behaviors. Qualitative themes included increased caution during movement, intentional engagement in physical activity and strengthening, and heightened awareness of environmental fall hazards. Significance/Impact: While short-term quantitative changes were limited, psychosocial and qualitative outcomes support education-focused interventions as an accessible and scalable community-based fall prevention strategy.