Fear of falling as a psychological consequence of fall in older adults

Abstract Background Falls is one of geriatric syndromes that impact active ageing. It is a major public health problem as falls can lead to irreversible health, social, and psychological consequences, and a large economic burden. Methods Elderly women, aged 65 years and above, who attended the National Osteoporosis Center for diagnostic or treatment purposes, participated in telephone interviews. These interviews aimed to document the outcomes and healthcare measures associated with any falls they experienced in the preceding 12 months. There was used a specially prepared questionnaire for demographic and falls data, fear of falling questionnaire “Falls Efficacy Scale International” (FES-I) and physical activity questionnaire “Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly” (PASE). Results The study population consisted of 339 community-dwelling women (mean age 72.9±5.3 years) all of whom reported experiencing one or more falls. One in three of these women had fallen two or more times. Most of all their fall resulted in an injury, and 79 (23.3%) reported falls led to bone fractures. Fear of falling was reported as a consequence of experienced fall by 251 (74.1%) women. Almost half of fallers restricted their everyday activities. The primary cause for limiting everyday activities was identified as pain. Conclusions Fear of falling was reported by 74.1% of women who fell during the previous 12 months. Every woman who experienced hip or vertebral fractures subsequently restricted their daily activities. Key messages • Fear of falling is common among elderly women who has fallen once or more. • The restriction of everyday activities is usually reported by women who feel pain and are afraid to fall again.