Characteristics associated with activity restriction induced by fear of falling in community-dwelling elderly.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the social-demographic, clinical, functional and psychological factors associated to activity restriction due to fear of falling in community-dwelling elderly and identify which variables best discriminate groups of elderly with different levels of activity restriction and fear of falling.


METHODS
One hundred and thirteen community-dwelling elderly (74.5±7 years old) participated in the study. Activity restriction induced by fear of falling, previous falls, fall related self-efficacy, frailty phenotype, functional capacity, depressive symptoms, health self-perception, socio-demographic and clinical factors were assessed. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, ANOVA and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to analyze the associations between activity restriction due to fear of falling and all other variables. Path analysis (CHAID) method was used to verify which variables better discriminated groups in relation to activity restriction (α=0.05).


RESULTS
The participants who reported fear of falling and activity restriction demonstrated higher depression (p=0.038), lower fall related self-efficacy (p<0.001), lower gait velocity (p=0.043) and independence level for instrumental daily living activities (p=0.017), higher number of diseases (p=0.048), worse health self-perception (p=0.040) and more depressive symptom (p=0.023). The best variables to discriminate groups were depression (p=0.004), exhaustion (frailty phenotype) (p=0.010) and social participation activities (p=0.016).


CONCLUSIONS
Activity restriction due to fear of falling may have negative effects on functional capacity and psychological aspects in community-dwelling elderly. Psychosocial factors seem to better discriminate the elderly who avoid activities due to fear of falling.
Physical Therapy Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brasil. rcd@ufmg.br
Rosângela C
RC
Dias
Maria T F
MT
Freire
Erika G S
EG
Santos
Renata A
RA
Vieira
João M D
JM
Dias
Mônica R
MR
Perracini
D000058:Accidental Falls; D000203:Activities of Daily Living / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires