title: Development and validation of a fall-related impulsive behaviour scale for residential care.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  impulsivity in older people with cognitive impairment has yet to be examined rigorously as a risk factor for falls. The objective of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of a new fall-related impulsive behaviour scale (FIBS) for a cognitively impaired population living in residential care.
  
  
  METHODS
  one hundred and nine care home residents (84.5 ± 8.3 years) were assessed on the FIBS and a range of behavioural, physical and neuropsychological measures. Participants were then prospectively followed up for falls for 6 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  the internal reliability (Cronbach's α = 0.77) and test-retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.93) of the FIBS were both good. Construct validity was supported by significant correlations between the FIBS and the neuropsychiatric inventory (r = 0.43, P < 0.001), wandering (r = 0.33, P = 0.001) and global cognition (r = -0.2, P = 0.04). Compared with residents with FIBS scores <1, those with FIBS scores of ≥ 1 were nearly three times more likely to fall in the following 6 months, AOR = 2.92 (95% CI: 1.03-8.29).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  the FIBS is a simple, valid and reliable scale for assessing fall-related impulsivity in care home residents and can be recommended for use in this group for both research and clinical purposes.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Age Research Unit, Clinical Gerontology, Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: Stephen H D
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Jacqueline C T
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Close
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Lord
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology; D001288:Attention; D003071:Cognition; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008603:Mental Health; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
keywords: accidental falls; aged; cognitive impairment; impulsivity; older people; residential care