Falls efficacy, postural balance, and risk for falls in older adults with falls-related emergency department visits: prospective cohort study

BMC Geriatrics

Research Article

Edwin Choon-Wyn Lim¹  Peck-Hoon Ong¹  Yong-Hao Pua¹  David B. Matcher²  Ross Allan Clark³ 

[1] Department of Physiotherapy, Singapore General Hospital, Outram Road, 169608, Singapore, Singapore;Health Services & Systems Research Program, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, Singapore, Singapore;Research Health Institute, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine Coast, Australia;

关键词: Balance;    Falls efficacy;    Falls;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12877-017-0682-2

 received in 2017-02-21, accepted in 2017-12-07,  发布年份 2017

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundRisk for falls in older adults has been associated with falls efficacy (self-perceived confidence in performing daily physical activities) and postural balance, but available evidence is limited and mixed. We examined the interaction between falls efficacy and postural balance and its association with future falls. We also investigated the association between falls efficacy and gait decline.MethodsFalls efficacy, measured by the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), and standing postural balance, measured using computerized posturography on a balance board, were obtained from 247 older adults with a falls-related emergency department visit. Six-month prospective fall rate and habitual gait speed at 6 months post baseline assessment were also measured.ResultsIn multivariable proportional odds analyses adjusted for potential confounders, falls efficacy modified the association between postural balance and fall risk (interaction P = 0.014): increasing falls efficacy accentuated the increased fall risk related to poor postural balance. Low baseline falls efficacy was strongly predictive of worse gait speed (0.11 m/s [0.06 to 0.16] slower gait speed per IQR decrease in MFES; P < 0.001).ConclusionOlder adults with high falls efficacy but poor postural balance were at greater risk for falls than those with low falls efficacy; however, low baseline falls efficacy was strongly associated with worse gait function at follow-up. Further research into these subgroups of older adults is warranted.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01713543.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2017