Current practice and needs for fall prevention embedded in the national essential public health service program: a qualitative study

Yanhong Fu; Weiqiang Li; Hao Huang; David C. Schwebel; Peixia Cheng; Peishan Ning; Li Li; Zhenzhen Rao; Guoqing Hu

doi:10.1038/s41514-026-00494-3

Back

Current practice and needs for fall prevention embedded in the national essential public health service program: a qualitative study

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Current practice and needs for fall prevention embedded in the national essential public health service program: a qualitative study

Yanhong Fu, Weiqiang Li, Hao Huang, David C. Schwebel, Peixia Cheng, Peishan Ning, Li Li, Zhenzhen Rao and Guoqing Hu

npj aging

08/22/2026

DOI: 10.1038/s41514-026-00494-3

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41514-026-00494-3View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Fall-prevention services for community-dwelling older adults are included in China’s National Essential Public Health Service Program (NEPHSP), but implementation status remains understudied. We conducted 79 semi-structured interviews and seven focus groups with 129 key stakeholders in Beijing and Changsha. Thematic analysis showed that services were largely limited to non-professional verbal health education, with a few exceptions supported by externally funded programs. Barriers included absence of standardized and actionable prevention protocols, constrained funding and material resources, inadequate workforce, limited fall-prevention expertise, and mismatch between community needs and practice. Facilitators consisted of explicit policy support, well-established provider-patient rapport, consensus on the importance of fall prevention, and frontline providers’ motivation for fall-prevention integration. Participants expected age-friendly, feasible, and integrated approaches involving risk screening, individualized feedback, routine education, high-risk management, digital support, training, and incentives. These findings informed development of a preliminary framework to design fall-prevention interventions within NEPHSP workflows.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Current practice and needs for fall prevention embedded in the national essential public health service program: a qualitative study
Creators: Yanhong Fu - Central South University
Weiqiang Li - Central South University
Hao Huang - Guizhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention
David C. Schwebel - University of Iowa
Peixia Cheng - Capital Medical University
Peishan Ning - Central South University
Li Li - Central South University
Zhenzhen Rao - Central South University
Guoqing Hu - Central South University
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: npj aging
DOI: 10.1038/s41514-026-00494-3
ISSN: 2731-6068
eISSN: 2731-6068
Publisher: Springer Nature
Language: English
Electronic publication date: 08/22/2026
Academic Unit: Research Administration; Psychological and Brain Sciences
Record Identifier: 9985220184502771

Metrics

1 Record Views