Covariates of Fear of Falling and Associated Activity Curtailment

TLDR

The study used logistic regression on a survey of 266 elderly adults to identify covariates of fear of falling and, among those afraid, covariates of activity curtailment. Data were collected from residents in six Massachusetts housing developments and analyzed with logistic regression to assess predictors of fear of falling and activity curtailment. Fifty‑five percent of participants feared falling, and among them 56% curtailed activity, with fear linked to female gender, prior falls, and fewer social contacts, while activity curtailment was associated with lack of fall communication, lower social support, and knowing someone who fell, indicating distinct prevention strategies.

Abstract

With a sample survey (N = 266) of elderly adults residing in six housing developments in Massachusetts, we used logistic regression to: (a) identify covariates of fear of falling among all subjects and (b) identify covariates of activity curtailment among the subset of subjects who were afraid of falling. Fifty-five percent of respondents were afraid of falling; of those who were afraid, 56% had curtailed activity due to this fear. Factors associated with fear of falling were: being female, having had previous falls, and having fewer social contacts. Factors associated with activity curtailment among those who were afraid were: not communicating about falls; having less social support; and knowing someone who had fallen. Falls history appears an important contributor to fear of falling, whereas the impact of this fear on activities appears more a function of social support. These findings suggest different strategies for the primary and secondary prevention of fear of falling.