title: QUALITY OF LIFE AND FEAR OF FALLING AMONG AN AGING POPULATION IN SEMI RURAL, THAILAND.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Thailand is the country where large numbers of old population are living in rural areas. Multiple factors are influencing the health of old people but falling is the biggest cause affecting their quality of life. This study explores the relationship between the quality of life, and fear of fall among aging people in the semi-rural, Thailand.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross sectional study was conducted on 394 old aged individuals living in Nakornnayok Province. Participants were selected through simple random method (SRM) from village population list. Old people were interviewed by adapting World Health Organization quality of life instrument-older module (WHOQOL-OLD) to access the quality of life. Multiple logistic regression analysis was applied to identify factors associated with QOL.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Above half of respondents during this study were female, married, educated with age 70.45 ± 6.99. Majority of aging had low income and were not enrolled for their health check-up at hospitals on regular basis. Over a half of them suffered from chronic diseases, and one third of them were using instrumental aids such as visual glasses, walker support, wheel chair and hearing aids etc. Majority, (70%) of the participants was living in safe houses but (34%) reported fall at least one time in past year. Mean of fear of fall score (FFS) was calculated (26.97 ± 4.31) and mean of FFS during using public transportation was (9.8756 ± 2.19467). Two third of aging population reported the moderate quality of life (QOL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Study has concluded that the QOL in aging people is related with household safety and confidence to use public transportation.
authors.forename: Korravarn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yodmai
authors.forename: Sipapa
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Phummarak
authors.forename: Jonathan C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Sirisuth
authors.forename: Ramesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: Ratana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Somrongthong
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012424:Rural Population; D013785:Thailand