Covariates of fear of falling and associated activity curtailment.
With a sample survey (N = 266) of elderly adults residing in six housing developments in Massachusetts, we used logistic regression to: (a) identify covariates of fear of falling among all subjects and (b) identify covariates of activity curtailment among the subset of subjects who were afraid of falling. Fifty-five percent of respondents were afraid of falling; of those who were afraid, 56% had curtailed activity due to this fear. Factors associated with fear of falling were: being female, having had previous falls, and having fewer social contacts. Factors associated with activity curtailment among those who were afraid were: not communicating about falls; having less social support; and knowing someone who had fallen. Falls history appears an important contributor to fear of falling, whereas the impact of this fear on activities appears more a function of social support. These findings suggest different strategies for the primary and secondary prevention of fear of falling.
Howland
J
J
Boston University School of Public Health, MA 02118, USA. jhowl@bu.edu
Lachman
M E
ME
Peterson
E W
EW
Cote
J
J
Kasten
L
L
Jette
A
A
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011638:Public Housing; D012307:Risk Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires