CORE Posters Fall 2025

Group E

Social Capital Development and Fall Prevention: A DO Students Community-based Intervention to Promote Healthy Aging Using Friendship Cafes and Bingocize ® Grimaldo M.T., Axline V.J., Khan N., Ni J., Orosz A., Wood C., Yacoub M., Nicholson J., Kadio B. Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, Preventative Medicine, Blacksburg, VA

research design, study implementation, and data analysis and interpretation.

Conclusion

Abstract

Results

• Fewer participants felt pain negatively affected their well-being post Bingocize ® compared to pre-Bingocize ® , suggesting that Bingocize ® may have reduced perceived pain's impact on overall well-being. • Since Bingocize ® , 50% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they had fallen less and were less fearful of falling, while 50% of participants neither agreed nor disagreed, indicating a potential physical benefit to the Bingocize ® program. • A total of 83.3% of participants agreed they wanted more compassion or contact with others, and 66.6% of participants agreed they'd like more people to enjoy life with.

The growing incidence of falls combined with lack of social support poses a serious risk to the health and well-being of elderly populations. 2 New River Valley’s Agency on Aging, an organization improving the lives of older adults, combats this by implementing Bingocize ® Fall Prevention programs within their Friendship Cafés. 4 In partnership with Agency on Aging, this research seeks to evaluate the benefits of the Bingocize ® program and provide a deeper understanding of how the Bingocize ® program enhances elderly social and physical well-being in Pulaski County. Using the adapted OPQOL-35 survey, this research will help provide evidence for further funding of valuable programs for the elderly in rural communities. 1

Table 1. Participant Demographics. This study evaluated six former participants of the Bingocize ® Fall Prevention Program at the Pulaski Friendship Café.

Figure 2. Comparison of participants' response to "Pain affected my well-being" before and after Bingocize ® . After participating in Bingocize ® , participants' perceptions of how pain affects their well-being shifted significantly, with fewer people strongly agreeing that pain impacts them.

Limitations, Outcomes, Future Directions

Introduction

• The sample size is small (n=6), limiting generalizability. • The outcomes trend towards a decreased fall risk, reduced perception of pain, and an increase in physical energy. • The findings suggest a future direction of exploring health related to social interaction and companionship in elderly populations within this community. • There is a significant need for community-based activities like Bingocize ® from a physical and psychosocial perspective.

• Pulaski is a small rural community in Southwest Virginia with a total population of 33,800 persons, of which 22.6% are greater than 65 years old 5 • Friendship Cafés are a service provided by New River Valley’s Agency on Aging and play a central role in enhancing social interactions and lifestyles of the elderly community in Pulaski County 4 • Friendship Cafés provide social enrichment for the local elderly population by allowing meaningful interaction while enjoying a hot meal • The Bingocize ® Fall Prevention program combines bingo, exercise, and education, to empower individuals, improve physical health, and increase social engagement. 3 However, the benefits of these workshops are not well understood.

Table 2. Participants' perception about their health prior to the Bingocize ® Fall Prevention Program. Prior to participating in Bingocize ® , a significant portion of participants reported a mix of perceptions about their health, with 50% being neutral on whether pain affected their well-being, and a combined 66.67% either agreeing or strongly agreeing that they had enough physical energy and were healthy enough to get out and about.

References

References

Methods

1. Bowling, A. (2009). Older People's Quality of Life Questionnaire (OPQOL-35) [Full Questionnaire] . St. George's, University of London & Kington University. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024, October 28). Older adult falls data https://www.cdc.gov/falls/data-research/index.html cd 3. National Council on Aging. (2025, January 21). Evidence-Based Program: Bingocize®.https://www.ncoa.org/article/evidence-based-program-bingocize/ 4. New River Valley Agency on Aging. (n.d.). New River Valley Agency on Aging. https://www.nrvaoa.org/index.html 5. U.S. Census Bureau. (n.d.). Pulaski County, Virginia – Profile. https://data.census.gov/profile/Pulaski_County,_Virginia?g=050XX00US5115 5

Table 3. Participant's perception about their health two years after conclusion of the Bingocize® Fall Prevention Program. After concluding Bingocize ® , participants showed significant improvements in their health perceptions, with a majority (83.33%) adopting a neutral stance on pain's effect on their well-being, while 50% strongly agreed they had more physical energy, and 66.67% agreed they were healthy enough to get out and about.

Figure 1 . Experimental Design. This cross-sectional experimental study was designed to evaluate the impact of the Bingocize ® Fall Prevention programs on enhancing social connections and promoting healthy aging among older adults. Individuals aged 60 and older, who previously participated in the Bingocize ® program, completed a survey at the Pulaski Friendship Cafe.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the New River Valley Agency on Aging for their support and assistance with this project. This study was reviewed and approved by the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine Institutional Review Board, Blacksburg, VA [IRB Protocol #2315435-2]. Social Capital Development and Fall Prevention: A DO Students Community-based Intervention. Approval Date 9/10/25

Table 4. Evaluation of participant's desire for more social connection following conclusion of the Bingocize ® Fall Prevention Program. Based on the table provided, the data describes participants' social perceptions after the Bingocize program. The findings indicate a strong desire for more social engagement.