Assessment of Fear of Falling and its Relation to Balance in Elderly People of Urmia

Abstract

Background: Falling is a serious problem in the elderly population and one of its complications is fear of falling. Fear of falling is one of the threatening factors of elderly health. This study aimed to investigate fear of falling and its relationship with balance in elderly in Urmia. Methods: This was a descriptive-analytical study. In this study, 200 adults in Urmia in 2017 were selected by random cluster sampling. Inclusion criteria was, age group 60-80 years, no anticonvulsant medication, ability to walk without help. The required data were collected using a two-part questionnaire including demographic information and Self-efficacy Fear and balance and standing Standard Questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis in SPSS version 21. Results: The results showed that 27.5%, 52.5%, 20% of the elderly had severe, moderate, mild fear of falling, respectively. Results of logistic regression showed that age (OR = 2.1, P-value = .041; 95%CI = 0.98-5.9), female (OR = 1.4, P-value = .022; 95%CI = 0.59-2.7), living alone (OR = 1.8, P-value = .054; 95%CI = 0.49-3.07), history of falling (OR = 1.9, P-value = .008; 95%CI = 0.42-2.2), and low balance (OR = 4.1, P-value = .001; 95%CI = 2.3-7.1) increased the likelihood of fear of falling in the elderly. Conclusion: The findings of this study showed that the level of fear of falling in the elderly is relatively high and appropriate and effective preventive interventions should be carried out according to the factors in the fear of falling in the elderly.