Does Fear of Falling Relate to Low Physical Function in Frail Elderly Persons?: Associations of Fear of Falling, Balance, and Gait

Abstract For older adults, a hospital stay can lead to loss of physical function and frailty. It is therefore important to investigate factors for recovery after hospitalization. Recent studies suggest negative self-perceptions of aging (SPA) as a potential risk factor in the context of serious health events. This ongoing longitudinal study investigates how negative SPA might contribute to worse physical recovery (assessed with the Short Physical Performance Battery) after hospital stay in a sample of 244 German adults aged 75 to 96. Preliminary mediation analysis based on available data of the first 50 participants indicate that negative SPA is related to increased fear of falling after 6 months, which predicts worse physical function one year after hospitalization (indirect effect: B = -0.70, SE = 0.41, p = .09). The results stress the importance of SPA for health recovery in old age and introduce fear of falling as a psychological pathway.

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Relationship between Aging and Dysphagia in Frail Elderly Persons by Frequency of Choking

Rigakuryoho Kagaku ◽

10.1589/rika.19.347 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 19 (4) ◽

pp. 347-350

Author(s):

Teruo YOKOI ◽

Miki KATO ◽

Mamiko NAGAI ◽

Miki HAYASHI ◽

Ryoma NAKAGOSHI

Keyword(s):

Frail Elderly ◽

Elderly Persons

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Physical Function, Fear of Falling, Occupational Status and Falls in a Nigerian Older Adults Sample

Ageing International ◽

10.1007/s12126-014-9202-2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (4) ◽

pp. 327-337 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christopher Olusanjo Akosile ◽

Francis Junior Odidika ◽

Emmanuel Chiebuka Okoye ◽

Babatunde Olusola Adeleke Adegoke ◽

Fatai Adesina Maruf ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Function ◽

Fear Of Falling ◽

Occupational Status

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Differences in Trunk Kinematic between Frail and Nonfrail Elderly Persons during Turn Transition Based on a Smartphone Inertial Sensor

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2013/279197 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-6 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Alejandro Galán-Mercant ◽

Antonio I. Cuesta-Vargas

Keyword(s):

Frail Elderly ◽

Inertial Sensor ◽

Angular Displacement ◽

Population Group ◽

Study Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Physically Active

Objective. Firstly, to, through instrumentation with theiPhone4smartphone, measure and describe variability of tridimensional acceleration, angular velocity, and displacement of the trunk in the turn transition during the ten-meter Extended Timed-Get-up-and-Go test in two groups of frail and physically active elderly persons. Secondly, to analyse the differences and performance of the variance between the study groups during turn transition (frail and healthy).Design. This is a cross-sectional study of 30 subjects over 65 years, 14 frail subjects, and 16 healthy subjects.Results. Significant differences were found between the groups of elderly persons in the accelerometry (P<0.01) and angular displacement variables (P<0.05), obtained in the kinematic readings of the trunk during the turning transitions. The results obtained in this study show a series of deficits in the frail elderly population group.Conclusions. The inertial sensor found in theiPhone4is able to study and analyse the kinematics of the turning transitions in frail and physically active elderly persons. The accelerometry values for the frail elderly are lower than the physically active elderly, whilst variability in the readings for the frail elderly is also lower than the control group.

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Fear of falling and physical function in older adults with cataract: Exploring the role of vision as a moderator

Geriatrics and Gerontology International ◽

10.1111/ggi.12930 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Anna Palagyi ◽

Jonathon Q Ng ◽

Kris Rogers ◽

Lynn Meuleners ◽

Peter McCluskey ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Physical Function ◽

Fear Of Falling

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The relationship between activities of daily living,falls and fear of falling in older adults : A crosssectional study

Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science ◽

10.3329/bjms.v20i2.51559 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 420-425

Author(s):

Hamed Mortazavi ◽

Mahbubeh Tabatabaeichehr ◽

Masoumeh Taherpour ◽

Mohadece Masoumi

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Activities Of Daily Living ◽

Social Life ◽

Daily Living ◽

Fear Of Falling ◽

Medical Science ◽

The Elderly ◽

Cluster Sampling ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

The Relationship

Objective : Doingactivities of daily living can bring independence for the elderly. It can also maintain their health and social participation. However, experience of falls and fear of falling can affect the health and personal social life of the elderly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between falls and fear of falling with activities of daily living in older adults. Materials and methods : Four hundred and fifty elderly persons were enrolled in this cross-sectional study using cluster sampling. Demographic variables, Fall Efficacy Scale- International (FES-I) and questionnaires related to the study of activities of daily living were employed. To investigate advanced activities of daily living, open-ended questions were used. The history of falls within the last 12 months was investigated. Results : Mean score of basic activities of daily living in the elderly being studied was 15.49±1.74, and 95.4% of them were independent in doing these activities.Mean score of instrumental activities of daily living was 11.30±3.36, and 71.5% of them were independent in doing these activities. Participation of elderly persons in social activities was reported to be 77.9%. There was a significant relationship between activities of daily living (basic, instrumental, and advanced) and falls and fear of falling (p<0.05). Conclusion : Falls and fear of falling reduce the independence of elderly persons in doing activities of daily living. Bangladesh Journal of Medical Science Vol.20(2) 2021 p.420-425

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Which factors are associated with sarcopenia and frailty in elderly persons residing in the community?

Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia ◽

10.1590/1981-22562018021.180165 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (6) ◽

pp. 755-766

Author(s):

Ana Paula Pillatt ◽

Rutiana Silva Patias ◽

Evelise Moraes Berlezi ◽

Rodolfo Herberto Schneider

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Vitamin D ◽

Frail Elderly ◽

Serum Vitamin ◽

Serum Levels ◽

Elderly Persons ◽

Risk Of Death ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Vitamin D Levels ◽

Low Serum

Abstract Objective: to broaden knowledge about the factors associated with sarcopenia and frailty in elderly persons residing in the community. Method: an integrative systematic review based on the PRISMA recommendations was carried out, using articles published from 2012 to March 2017 in the PubMED, SciELO, Virtual Health Library, CINAHL and Springer electronic databases with the following descriptors: frail elderly, sarcopenia and etiology and their synonyms. The articles identified by the initial search strategy were independently assessed by two researchers, according to the eligibility criteria, and the articles selected were evaluated for methodological quality. Results: the results of this survey show that frailty may be associated with sarcopenia, low serum vitamin D levels, anemia, subclinical hyperthyroidism in men, while the greatest evolution in women was for osteoporosis. An association between sarcopenia and advanced age was also observed, with worsening quality of life, physical-functional capacity, nutritional status and comorbidities, as well as an increased risk of death in sarcopenic elderly persons. Conclusion: this systematic review showed that low serum levels of vitamin D are associated with frailty and factors that predispose this condition. It is therefore important to monitor the serum levels of this vitamin in the elderly population, and it is suggested that new studies are carried out related to supplements of this vitamin in frail elderly persons.

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The prevalence and correlates of fear of falling in elderly persons living in the community.

American Journal of Public Health ◽

10.2105/ajph.84.4.565 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 84 (4) ◽

pp. 565-570 ◽

Cited By ~ 409

Author(s):

C L Arfken ◽

H W Lach ◽

S J Birge ◽

J P Miller

Keyword(s):

Fear Of Falling ◽

Elderly Persons

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