Validation of the Italian version of the falls efficacy scale international (FES-I) and the short FES-I in community-dwelling older persons.
Fear of falling (FF) is a common problem in older persons. FF negatively affects the quality of life by generating anxiety, loss of confidence and of self-efficacy, and, ultimately, activity restriction and increased risk of falling. The FES-I and Short FES-I are two instruments developed to assess FF in older persons which have been already validated in some European countries. Our objectives are to develop the Italian version of FES-I and the Short FES-I and to validate them in older persons. The back translation protocol adopted by the ProFaNE group was used to translate both scales from English to Italian. Participants were 157 community-dwelling persons aged>65 years who underwent comprehensive geriatric assessment, including a structured interview concerning FF, and were administered the FES-I and the Short FES-I. Both scales were re-tested after 4 weeks in 151 persons. FES-I and Short FES-I had high internal validity and test-retest reliability. The Short FES-I is highly comparable with the FES-I. We conclude that the FES-I and the Short FES-I are excellent instruments to asses FF in Italian older subjects and they may be used in future research projects and clinical trials.
Ruggiero
C
C
Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Perugia, Policlinico Santa Maria della Misericordia, Perugia, Italy. ruggiero07@hotmail.com
Mariani
T
T
Gugliotta
R
R
Gasperini
B
B
Patacchini
F
F
Nguyen
H N
HN
Zampi
E
E
Serra
R
R
Dell'Aquila
G
G
Cirinei
E
E
Cenni
S
S
Lattanzio
F
F
Cherubini
A
A
D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires