Older persons afraid of falling reduce physical activity to prevent outdoor falls

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to test the assumption that the level of outdoor physical activity mediates the relationship between fear of falling and actual outdoor falls according to the Task Difficulty Homeostasis Theory. METHOD: A prospective follow-up study of 10 months conducted in the year 2000 in three municipalities in the province of Friesland, The Netherlands. The participants were 1752 people aged 65 and older, living independently, in the community. Main baseline data were age, sex, outdoor physical activities (walking, bicycling), and fear of outdoor falls. The number of people who fell outdoors was recorded. RESULTS: People with a high fear of falling were more often low to moderately active or active compared with people who had no such fears and were more often very active. Fear of falling was not associated with outdoor falls, but it was after taking the level of physical activity into account. CONCLUSIONS: Outdoor physical activity mediates the relationship between fear of falling and actual outdoor falls. This implies that the incidence of falls as an outcome in studies does not adequately represent the impact of risk factors for falls and that level of physical activity should be taken into account.     

Socio-demographic, health-related and psychosocial correlates of fear of falling and avoidance of activity in community-living older persons who avoid activity due to fear of falling

Background  

Fear of falling and avoidance of activity are common in old age and are suggested to be (public) health problems of equal importance to falls. Earlier studies of correlates of fear of falling and avoidance of activity did hardly differentiate between severe and mild levels of fear of falling and avoidance of activity which may be relevant from clinical point of view. Furthermore, most studies focused only on socio-demographics and/or health-related variables and hardly incorporated an extensive range of potential correlates of fear of falling including psychosocial variables. This study analyzes the univariate and multivariate associations between five socio-demographic, seven health-related and six psychosocial variables and levels of fear of falling and avoidance of activity in older persons who avoid activity due to fear of falling.     

Impact of Fear of Falling in Long Term Care: An Integrative Review

Long term care elders with fear of falling may restrict their activity resulting in declines in function and excess disability. To further explore this problem, a review of the literature was conducted. The search yielded 26 studies on the epidemiology of fear of falling in nursing homes and assisted living as well as intervention studies in these settings. Fear of falling is common, affecting more than 50% of long term care elders and is associated with negative outcomes, including falls, functional impairments, depression, and poor quality of life. Longitudinal studies are rare. There were few intervention studies, with most testing exercise programs, including balance training, such as t’ai chi, and little research testing other approaches. Few conclusions can be drawn about interventions, as most sample sizes were small and the interventions and measurement varied widely. Additional research is needed to identify long term care residents most in need of intervention, and the best ways to reduce fear of falling and its consequences.     

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

OBJECTIVES. Fear of falling has been recognized as a potentially debilitating consequence of falling in elderly persons. However, the prevalence and the correlates of this fear are unknown. METHODS. Prevalence of fear of falling was calculated from the 1-year follow-up of an age- and gender-stratified random sample of community-dwelling elderly persons. Cross-sectional associations of fear of falling with quality of life, frailty, and falling were assessed. RESULTS. The prevalence of fear increased with age and was greater in women. After adjustment for age and gender, being moderately fearful of falling was associated with decreased satisfaction with life, increased frailty and depressed mood, and recent experience with falls. Being very fearful of falling was associated with all of the above plus decreased mobility and social activities. CONCLUSIONS. Fear of falling is common in elderly persons and is associated with decreased quality of life, increased frailty, and recent experience with falls.     

Educational intervention to reduce falls and fear of falling in patients after fragility fracture: results of a controlled pilot study

OBJECTIVES: Falls and fear of falling are a major health problem. We sought to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in reducing fear of falling and preventing recurrent falls in community-dwelling patients after a fragility fracture. METHODS: One hundred two community-dwelling patients aged 50 years or older who fell and sustained a wrist fracture and were treated at Emergency Departments in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada (2001-2002) were allocated to either standardized educational leaflets and post-discharge telephone counseling regarding fall prevention strategies ("intervention") or attention-controls ("controls"). Main outcomes were fear of falling and recurrent falls 3 months after fracture. RESULTS: Mean age was 67 years and most patients were female (80%). The majority of falls (76%) leading to fracture occurred outdoors. Three months post-fracture, almost half of patients (48%) reported increased fear of falling and 11 of 102 (11%) reported falling again. The intervention did not reduce the fear of falling (43% had increased fear vs. 53% of controls, adjusted P value=0.55) or decrease recurrent falls (17% fell vs. 5% of controls, adjusted P value=0.059) within 3 months of fracture. CONCLUSIONS: An educational intervention undertaken in the Emergency Department was no more effective than usual care in reducing fear of falling or recurrent falls in community-dwelling patients. Future strategies must address a number of dimensions beyond simple education.     

Relationship between Nutrition-Related Problems and Falls in Hemodialysis Patients: A Narrative Review

Falls are a social problem that increase healthcare costs. Hemodialysis (HD) patients need to avoid falling because fractures increase their risk of death. Nutritional problems such as frailty, sarcopenia, undernutrition, protein-energy wasting (PEW), and cachexia may increase the risk of falls and fractures in patients with HD. This review aimed to summarize the impact of frailty, sarcopenia, undernutrition, PEW, and cachexia on falls in HD patients. The reported global incidence of falls in HD patients is 0.85–1.60 falls per patient per year. HD patients fall frequently, but few reports have investigated the relationship between nutrition-related problems and falls. Several studies reported that frailty and undernutrition increase the risk of falls in HD patients. Nutritional therapy may help to prevent falls in HD patients. HD patients’ falls are caused by nutritional problems such as iatrogenic and non-iatrogenic factors. Falls increase a person’s fear of falling, reducing physical activity, which then causes muscle weakness and further decreased physical activity; this cycle can cause multiple falls. Further research is necessary to clarify the relationships between falls and sarcopenia, cachexia, and PEW. Routine clinical assessments of nutrition-related problems are crucial to prevent falls in HD patients.     

Bathroom modifications among community-dwelling older adults who experience falls in the United States: A cross-sectional study

Falls impose substantial health and economic burdens on older adults. Over half of falls in older adults occur at home, with many involving bathroom areas. Limited information is available on the presence of bathroom modifications for those who experience them. Therefore, we examined factors associated with bathroom modifications among older adults with at least one fall in the United States. We analysed the nationally representative 2016 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File of Medicare beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with ≥1 fall (n = 2,404). A survey-weighted logistic model was used to examine associations between bathroom modifications and factors including socio-demographic characteristics, health-related conditions, and fear of falling. Among Medicare beneficiaries with ≥1 fall, 55.5% had bathroom modifications and 50.1% had repeated falls (≥2 falls). Approximately 40.2% of those with repeated falls had no bathroom modifications. In the adjusted model, non-Hispanic Blacks (odds ratio [OR] = 0.38; p < 0.001) and Hispanics (OR = 0.64; p = 0.039) had lower odds of having bathroom modifications than non-Hispanic Whites. Fear of falling and activities of daily living limitations had incremental impacts on having bathroom modifications. This study highlights the need to improve disparities in bathroom modifications for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic Medicare beneficiaries, including those with repeated falls. With the aging population and growing number of older minorities in the United States, reducing these disparities is vital for fall prevention efforts and aging-in-place.     

The relationship between risk factors for falling and the quality of life in older adults

Background  

Falls are one of the major health problems that effect the quality of life among older adults. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between quality of life (Short Form-12) and the risk factors of falls (balance, functional mobility, proprioception, muscle strength, flexibility and fear of falling) in older adults.     

The 24-h distribution of falls and person-hours of physical activity in the home are strongly associated among community-dwelling older persons

OBJECTIVES: Most research on falls among older persons focuses on health-related factors that affect the ability to maintain balance. The objective of the study is to determine the association between physical activity and occurrence of falls among community-dwelling older persons. METHODS: The distribution of falls and person-hours of physical activity in the home over 24 h was compared. The falls data (n=501) were extracted from a pooled dataset of three follow-up studies conducted between 1994 and 2005 (n=3587). The 1995 Dutch National Time-Budget Survey provided hour-by-hour information on activities performed by older individuals (n=459) in the home; this sample was representative for the Netherlands. The association between the 24-h distribution of falls and physical activity and the risk of falling (the ratio between the distribution of falls and physical activity) were determined. Participants were community-dwelling older persons aged 65 years and older. RESULTS: More physical activity was positively associated with more falls (Spearman correlation=.89, p<.000). The risk of falling at night (1 a.m.-6 a.m.) was almost eight times higher compared to 7 a.m.-12 p.m. CONCLUSIONS: Physical activity is strongly associated with the number of falls in the home, measured over 24 h. Older persons may be at increased risk of falling if they are encouraged to become more physically active, or if they often get out of bed at night. Thus in addition to health-related factors, changes in level of physical activity should also be taken into account when estimating a person's risk of falling.     

Comment on "Modifiable family and school environmental factors associated with smoking status among adolescents in Guangzhou, China"

Chen and colleagues describe social factors that are related with Chinese adolescent smoking behaviors [Chen, W., Wen, X., Muscat, J., et al., 2007-this issue. Modifiable family and school environmental factors associated with smoking status among adolescents in Guangzhou, China. Prev. Med. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.02.009]. These types of studies in China are very much needed given the fact that smoking is a significant health problem in China. Environmental factors may be more important than sometimes thought, since some studies suggest that smoking onset may not be such a 'reasoned' process by youngsters (Kremers, S.P., Mudde, A.N., de Vries, N.K., Brug, J., de Vries, H., 2004. Unplanned smoking initiation: new insights and implications for interventions. Patient Educ. Couns. 55 (3), 345-52.). Studies indicate that a multitude of factors are related to smoking onset, and thus deserve attention in a smoking prevention approach (see, e.g., [Tyas, S., Pederson, L., 1998. Psychosocial factors related to adolescent smoking: a critical review of the literature. Tob. Control 7, 409-420; Lantz, P., Jacobson, P., Warner, K., et al., 2000. Investing in youth tobacco control: a review of smoking prevention and control strategies. Tob. Control 9, 47-63]). The study conclusions were derived from a cross-sectional report. Consequently, one needs to be careful in making conclusions about causal pathways [Bauman, K., Fisher, L., 1986. On the measurement of friend behavior in research on friend influence and selection: findings from longitudinal studies of adolescent smoking and drinking. J. Youth Adolesc. 15 (4), 345-353]. Longitudinal studies also suggest the impact of selection mechanisms implying that adolescents were not pressured to start to smoke, but selected smoking friends. Chen, W., Wen, X., Muscat, J., et al.'s [2007-this issue. Modifiable family and school environmental factors associated with smoking status among adolescents in Guangzhou, China. Prev. Med. doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.02.009.] work is important because it describes one of the many steps that are needed in China for realizing effective smoking prevention programs, a study that could be described as one of the first steps in the planning cycle of health promotion [Green, L., Kreuter, M., 1999. Health Promotion Planning: An Educational and Ecological Approach. Mayfield Publishing Company, Mountain View, CA]. Ultimately Chen and colleagues may want to develop smoking prevention interventions. These interventions should indeed incorporate the modifiable social factors, and - as the Chinese data suggest - should be gender sensitive. Consequently, the great challenge for Chen and several other Chinese colleagues will be to develop an integral long-term approach for their country to prevent smoking onset as effectively as possible using comprehensive approaches.     

Feasibility of a cognitive behavioural group intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated avoidance of activity in community-living older people: a process evaluation

Background  

Fear of falling and associated avoidance of activity are common among older people and may have negative consequences in terms of functional decline, quality of life and institutionalisation. We evaluated the effects of a cognitive behavioural group intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated avoidance of activity among older persons. This intervention showed favourable effects on fear of falling, avoidance of activity, daily activity, and several secondary outcomes. The aim of the present study is to assess the feasibility of this cognitive behavioural group intervention for participants and facilitators.     

Utilitarian Walking,Neighborhood Environment,and Risk of Outdoor Falls Among Older Adults

Objectives. We examined the roles of utilitarian and recreational walking in relation to occurrence of outdoor falls in older adults.Methods. We analyzed data on walking habits, falls, and fall injuries among participants of MOBILIZE Boston, a prospective cohort study of 765 community-dwelling women and men, mainly aged 70 years or older, in Boston, Massachusetts. Neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) indicators were assessed at census block group level. Falls were recorded during a total of 2066.5 person-years of follow-up (September 2005–December 2009), and the median length of follow-up was 2.9 years (range = 0.04–4.3).Results. Lower neighborhood SES indicators were associated with more utilitarian walking and higher rates of falls on sidewalks, streets, and curbs. Falls on sidewalks and streets were more likely to result in an injury than were falls in recreational areas. Utilitarian-only walkers tended to live in neighborhoods with the lowest neighborhood SES and had the highest rate of outdoor falls despite walking 14 and 25 fewer blocks per week than the recreational-only and dual walkers, respectively.Conclusions. Improving the safety of walking environments in areas where older adults shop and do other errands of necessity is an important component of fall prevention.Falls are the leading cause of unintentional fatal and nonfatal injuries in older adults aged 65 years and older.1,2 In the United States, one third of older adults fall each year, with approximately 10% of falls resulting in injuries that need medical attention.1,3–5Regular walking has been associated with numerous health benefits among older adults, including lower risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, disabilities, and mortality.6–10 Utilitarian walking can be operationally defined as walking to shop and do other necessary errands or tasks of daily life. Both recreational and utilitarian walking have been widely recommended to older adults to improve balance, muscle strength, and general health7,10,11 and thus reduce fall risk. Utilitarian walking is particularly important to older persons with physical limitations who can no longer drive routinely or to those who cannot afford to drive. Unfortunately, walking is also the most common activity leading to falls and fall injuries among older adults,12 with 36% to 63% of outdoor falls occurring while walking.12–17 Experiencing an outdoor fall may result in the development of a psychological barrier to physical activity in those prone to falling, thus leading to decreased independence and mobility and increased likelihood of becoming homebound.18,19Recent municipal and state initiatives have aimed at improving the safety of walking areas.20 Although these efforts are laudable, investments appear to be aimed more toward recreational walking, improving areas such as trails, tracks, and parks rather than utilitarian walking environments, possibly more crucial for the socioeconomically disadvantaged. We investigated the associations between the walking habits of older adults, the socioeconomic status (SES) of their neighborhoods, and the occurrence of outdoor falls.     

What is the evidence of the experience of having a fall across the life course? A qualitative synthesis

BackgroundAlleviating the economic and human impacts of falls and fear of falling are critical health and social care issues. Despite some proven effectiveness of a number of falls prevention intervention programmes, uptake remains low and attrition high. There is a need for greater understanding of social, cultural and individual, life course positioning of falling, actual or perceived.ObjectiveTo address the question: what is the evidence of the experience of having a fall across the life course?MethodA qualitative evidence synthesis with key electronic databases searched from 1990 to 2011 using terms related to the experience of falls and falling. Selected papers presented data from the perspective of the person who had fallen. Synthesis included collaborative coding of ‘incidents’ related to falling, theoretical sampling of studies to challenge emerging theories, and constant comparison of categories to generate explanations.ResultsThe initial focus was to access and assess the evidence for the experiences of a fall across the life course but the authors' systematic search revealed that the vast majority of the published literature focuses on the experience of a fall in later life. Only 2 of the 16 studies included, provided perspectives of falling from a life stage other than that of older adults. However older adults' perceptions of their falls experiences are likely to be influenced by lifelong attitudes and beliefs about falling and older age. Synthesis identified that a falls incident or fear of falling induces explicit or implicit ‘Fear.’ Consequences are related to notions of ‘Control’ and ‘Social standing.’ Recovery work involves ‘Adaptation,’ ‘Implications,’ ‘Social standing’ and ‘Control.’ ‘Explanation’ is sought.ConclusionsHow and why people make sense of falling across the life course should have positive impacts on developing falls intervention programmes that people will want to engage with and adhere to.     

Crime,physical activity and outdoor recreation among Latino adolescents in Chicago

Purpose

The purpose was to examine how fear of crime, crime victimization, and perceived level of community incivilities are related to physical activity participation and outdoor recreation among Latino adolescents.

Method

The study utilized a mixed methods approach that included 25 qualitative interviews and 390 school-based surveys collected from youth across three schools in Little Village, Chicago, Illinois.

Results

Results showed that Latino adolescents who expressed greater fear of crime also engaged in less physical activity and outdoor recreation. There was no association between crime victimization and physical activity and outdoor recreation. Those who perceived greater levels of community incivilities also engaged in less outdoor recreation, but perception of incivilities had no significant association with physical activity levels. Interview data revealed most of the children believed crime was a serious problem in their neighborhood and it impacted their ability to be physically active and play outside.

Conclusions

Fear of crime was related to lower physical activity and outdoor recreation. It is imperative that communities provide safe environments for children to be active. Increasing police and adult presence in parks and school grounds is recommended. Moreover, efforts must be made to reduce the gang problems in Latino communities.     

Outdoor falls among middle-aged and older adults: a neglected public health problem

Objectives. Although risk factors for indoor falls among older individuals have been well studied, little is known about the etiology of outdoor falls. We examined risk factors for outdoor falls among middle-aged and older adults.

Methods. We analyzed data on the most recent fall during the past year among participants aged 45 years and older in the control group (N=2193) of a case–control study of fractures. The study was conducted at 5 Northern California Kaiser Permanente Medical Centers between 1996 and 2001.

Results. Falls occurred outdoors more often than indoors among most age groups. Study participants who reported more leisure-time physical activity had a higher risk for outdoor falls, and participants who were in poorer health had a greater risk for indoor falls. Most outdoor falls (73%) were precipitated by environmental factors, such as uneven surfaces and tripping or slipping on objects, and usually occurred on sidewalks, curbs, and streets. Walking (47.3%) was the most common fall-related activity.

Conclusions. Outdoor falls among adults aged 45 years and older were frequently attributable to modifiable environmental factors. With the widespread promotion of active lifestyles among older people, improvements in their outdoor environment are urgently needed.

     

Evaluating an intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated activity restriction in elderly persons: design of a randomised controlled trial [ISRCTN43792817]

Background  

Fear of falling and associated activity restriction is common in older persons living in the community. Adverse consequences of fear of falling and associated activity restriction, like functional decline and falls, may have a major impact on physical, mental and social functioning of these persons. This paper presents the design of a trial evaluating a cognitive behavioural group intervention to reduce fear of falling and associated activity restriction in older persons living in the community.     

Don't let the patient with Parkinson's disease fall!

Three patients with a hypokinetic-rigid syndrome, a woman aged 69 years and two men aged 62 and 67 years, were admitted because of frequent falling. In two patients Parkinson's disease was diagnosed, the third had progressive supranuclear palsy. Balance impairment and falls typically emerge late in the course of Parkinson's disease. Falls can have dramatic physical consequences, such as (hip) fractures, and often induce a fear of additional falls which further impairs mobility and social contacts. The pathophysiology of falls in Parkinson's disease is complex and appears to result from both impaired balance regulation and commonly occurring balance disturbances (due to the shuffling gait and dyskinesias). Balance impairment often responds insufficiently to pharmacological treatment. Aspecific measures such as physical therapy, walking aids and reduction of domestic hazards can reduce the number of falls. Because patients often fail to voluntarily report their falls, physicians must actively pay attention to balance impairment in Parkinson's disease.     

Falls in older people

Thirty per cent of people aged over 65 fall each year in the UK. This number increases to more than 60% in those in care homes, illustrating the contextual nature of falls. The social consequences (apart from any injury) are considerable, with fear of falling among the most common. Fear of falls reduces the patient's quality of life and increases dependency. This has a significant knock-on effect for social and community care. For GPs, the frequency of falls presenting depends on the nature of the practice and the environment. But if you ask patients, you will find falls. As a consequence, they form part of the single assessment process (SAP) introduced in the national service framework for older people, which is used to determine a patient's health and social care needs. To manage falls more effectively, this contribution assesses how Southwark and Lambeth Integrated care pathway for older people with falls (SLIPS Project) has been developed as a fully integrated pathway linking acute care with primary, community and social care.