title: Falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated with quality-adjusted life years in older women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  falls-related self-efficacy is associated with falls, falls-related injury and subsequent functional decline which may lead to poor health-related quality-of-life (HRQL). To our knowledge, no previous studies have examined the independent contribution of falls-related self-efficacy to HRQL. Our primary objective was to determine whether falls-related self-efficacy is independently associated HRQL, measured by quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), in older women after accounting for known covariates.
  
  
  METHODS
  we conducted a secondary analysis of 135 community-dwelling older women aged 65-75 years who participated in a 12-month randomised controlled trial of resistance training. We assessed falls-related self-efficacy using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and QALYs calculated from the EuroQol EQ-5D (EQ-5D).
  
  
  RESULTS
  our multivariate linear regression model demonstrated that falls-related self-efficacy as assessed using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale was independently associated with QALYs after accounting for age, group, education, functional co-morbidity index, general mobility, global cognition and physiological falls risk. The final model explained 52% of the variation in QALYs. The ABC Scale accounted for 5% of the total variance in the final model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  although falls-related self-efficacy was independently associated with QALYs after controlling for a number of known variables, there may well be other factors not investigated, such as risk taking behaviour and psychological measures, which could account for some of the association.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00426881.
authors: Centre for Clinical Epidemiology and Evaluation, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
authors: Jennifer C
authors: JC
authors: Davis
authors: Carlo A
authors: CA
authors: Marra
authors: Teresa Y
authors: TY
authors: Liu-Ambrose
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000368:Aged / Q000523:psychology; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D019057:Quality-Adjusted Life Years; D012112:Residential Facilities; D012307:Risk Factors; D020377:Self Efficacy