Citation

Soleimani R, Jalali MM, Mirbolook AR. Clin. Gerontol. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Department of Orthopedics, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/07317115.2019.1704958

PMID

31842724

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate predictors of fear of falling (FOF) among older people with or without hip fracture.Methods: The FOF was assessed by the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS-FOF), anxiety and depression by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The modified Berg Balance Scale (mBBS) to evaluate functional balance was used. All people were asked to complete the dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) for evaluating quality of life.Results: Eighty-eight older adults (44 cases; 44 controls) took part in this study. The case group had received surgical intervention for femoral neck or trochanteric fracture resulting from a fall. The results showed significantly more intensity of FOF in hip fracture patients than controls (p <.001). The FOF was significantly correlated with anxiety, DHI, mBBS, and SF-36. The results of the multiple linear regression showed that four predictors explained about 44% of the variance of the FOF. It was found that mBBS and DHI significantly predicted FOF (p <.001 and <.001, respectively).Conclusions: The hip fracture patients had a high degree of the fear of falling, low quality of life and low functional capacity. The mBBS and DHI were significant predictors of the FOF in older adults.Clinical implications: It may be useful to employ an inter-disciplinary approach to addressing fear of falling to best understand physiological and psychological contributions.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidental falls; Aging; Dizziness; Hip fractures; Vertigo