title: Factors Associated with Fear of Falling among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in the Shih-Pai Study in Taiwan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Fear of falling is an important risk indicator for adverse health related outcomes in older adults. However, factors associated with fear of falling among community-dwelling older adults are not well-explored.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To explore the quality of life and associated factors in fear of falling among older people in the Shih-Pai area in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  This community-based survey recruited three thousand eight hundred and twenty-four older adults aged ≥ 65 years. The measurements included a structured questionnaire, including quality of life by using Short-Form 36, and information of fear of falling, fall history, demographics, medical conditions, insomnia, sleep quality, depression and subjective health through face-to-face interviews.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 53.4% of participants reported a fear of falling. The rate of fear of falling was higher in female subjects. Subjects with fear of falling had lower Short Form-36 scores both for men and women. Falls in the previous year, older age, insomnia, depression and worse subjective health were correlates of fear of falling for both sexes. Male-specific associations with fear of falling were the accessibility of medical help in an emergency, diabetes mellitus and stroke. In parallel, cardiovascular diseases were a female-specific correlate for fear of falling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fear of falling is prevalent among community-dwelling older adults. It is seems that there are gender differences in fear of falling with respect to the prevalence and associated factors in older adults. Gender differences should be considered when planning prevention and intervention strategies for fear of falling among older people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.|Institute of Public Health and Community Medicine Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.|School of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiao-Ting
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry & Center of Sleep Disorders, National Taiwan University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsi-Chung
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Public Health and Community Medicine Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pesus
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chou
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011788:Quality of Life; D012307:Risk Factors; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology