title: Fear of falling does not alter the kinematics of recovery from an induced trip: a preliminary study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To provide preliminary information about the relationships between self-reported fear of falling (FOF) in healthy community-dwelling women, number of falls, and recovery kinematics in response to a laboratory-induced trip.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  A subset of community-dwelling older women (N=33) recruited from studies of laboratory-induced trips and fall prevention.
  
  
  METHODS
  A laboratory-induced trip.
  
  
  METHODS
  Number of fallers in the FOF group versus the control group. Recovery kinematics of FOF group falls versus control group falls, and FOF group recoveries versus control group recoveries were compared. Degree of FOF was assessed by using the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence (ABC) Scale.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Falls occurred in 6 of 14 (43%) FOF and 4 of 16 (25%) control subjects (P=.26). The kinematics of FOF group falls were similar to those of control group falls. At completion of the initial recovery step, the FOF group showed significantly greater trunk extension velocity than controls (-82.1°/s ± -66.1°/s vs -25.0°/s ± -53.0°/s, respectively; P=.05). All other variables were not significantly different. ABC Scale scores of FOF subjects did not differ significantly between fallers and those who recovered (mean, 75.2 ± 5.6, 71.1 ± 11.8, respectively; P=.84).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Healthy community-dwelling older adults would benefit from fall prevention regardless of the presence of self-reported FOF.
authors: Clinical Biomechanics and Rehabilitation Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, University of Illinois at Chicago, 60608, USA. janem@uic.edu
authors: Jane R
authors: JR
authors: Marone
authors: Noah J
authors: NJ
authors: Rosenblatt
authors: Karen L
authors: KL
authors: Troy
authors: Mark D
authors: MD
authors: Grabiner
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001827:Body Height; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged