OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention program to prevent falls among the elderly as compared to a brief intervention. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: 11 Health Centers located in Cordoba (Spain). PARTICIPANTS: People over 69 years old, residents in the community. INTERVENTIONS: The centers were randomized to either one of the 2 groups: intervention group (IG), of a multifactorial nature (individual advice, information leaflet, physical exercise workshop and home visits) or control group (CG) (brief individual advice and information leaflet). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fall rates and time until the fall. Estimates of the relative and absolute risk of falls. Survival analysis and Cox regression. RESULTS: 414 patients were recruited, 133 in the IG and 271 in the CG. 33.1% in the IG and 30.25% in the CG had had some fall the previous year (p = 0.56). After 12 months, the fall incidence rate was 17.29% in the IG and 23.61% in the CG (RR 0.73; 95%CI 0.48 to 1.12; (p = 0.146). 60.1% of the IG patients said they had increased the time spent on physical activity. In the IG, the incidence of falls at homes was 27.5% compared to 49.3% in the CG (p = 0.04). Being a woman (OR 1.62; 95%CI 1.03 to 2.54), having a history of falls (OR 1.15; 95%CI 1.05 to 1.26), suffering acute health problems (OR 2.19; 95%CI 1.09 to 4.40), and doing moderate exercise (OR 1.91; 95%CI 1.08 to 3.38), were found as factors associated with a higher risk of falls. CONCLUSIONS: Although the reduction of falls in the IG was nearly halved, and after the intervention there was a significant reduction in the number of falls at these patients' homes, the multifactorial intervention program is no more effective than the brief intervention to reduce the overall risk of falls.

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