Factors Associated with the Fear of Falling after Discharge in Older Adults Who had Surgery after Experiencing a Fall Fracture

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the factors associated with the fear of falling after discharge in older adults who had surgery for fall fractures.Methods: The participants were 143 older adults aged 65 or older hospitalized at the General Hospital due to a fall fracture. Data were collected from July 2019 to June 2020 using questionnaires for activities of daily living, pain, depression, and fear of falling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t-test, one-way ANOVA, Pearson’s correlation, and multiple regression.Results: The average age of the subjects was 75.34±6.89 years, and 74.1% were women. The influencing factors on the fear of falling after discharge were activities of daily living (β=.31, p=.001), age (β=.20, p=.004), the need for walking aids or assistance in walking before the fall (β=.20, p=.005), and pain (β=.15, p=.027). Total explained variance was 55% (F=13.17, p<.001).Conclusion: Based on the results of this study, it is necessary to actively intervene the fear of falling once older adults are hospitalized, considering the factors associated with the fear of falling after discharge in older adults who had surgery after experiencing a fall fracture and to develop an educational program to reduce the fear of falling.