Assessment of fall risk, cognitive impairment, fear of falling in relation to functional mobility, and balance impairments in older adults

Among older adults, falls are the most common injury and may increase the risk of mortality. This study aimed to investigate factors associated with functional mobility and balance impairments among community-dwelling older adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted among a total of 515 older adults. The questionnaires recorded demographic characteristics and health data, including the mental state examination T10 version (MSET10) and fear of falling (FOF). Functional mobility and balance impairments were assessed using the timed up and go (TUG) test. Leg strength and endurance were assessed using the sit to stand (STS) test. Demographic factors that were associated with significant differences for TUG and TUG-cognitive included age, education, occupation, history of falls in the previous year, and comorbidities. The TUG-cognitive, STS, and TUG tests at higher risk of falling were 42.5%, 18.6%, and 14.2%, respectively. The Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that STS and FOF were positively associated with TUG and TUG-cognitive, while the MSET10 was negatively associated with TUG and TUG-cognitive. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that increasing FOF was associated with increasing TUG and TUG-cognitive after adjusting for confounding variables (p < 0.001 and p = 0.015, respectively). Several risk factors need to be considered to determine the effectiveness of preventive measures and interventions to reduce the risk of falling. In particular, interventions for older adults should focus on functional mobility and balance impairments.