Analysis of Factors Influencing Risk of Fallings among Rehabilitation Patients with Impaired of Mobility: Focusing on Activities-specific Balance Confidence

Han, Dongwook; Park, Kyung Yeon

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of the study was to investigate activities-specific balance confidence and risk of fallings among rehabilitation patients with impaired of mobility, and to identify the influence of activities-specific balance confidence on their risk of fallings. METHOD: Data for 132 rehabilitation patients were collected between October June 20 and August 20, 2012 at nine hospitals in a metropolitan city. Data were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation coefficient and stepwise multiple regression with SPSS/WIN 20.0. RESULT: The mean score for rehabilitation patients' activities-specific balance confidence was 40.18 out of a possible range of 0-100 and the mean score for risk of fallings among rehabilitation patients was 31.10 within a possible range of 0-125. Significant factors affecting the risk of fallings among the rehabilitation patients were 'activity level', 'dementia', 'body mass index', 'anxiety', and 'presence of a caregiver', which together explained 34.7% of the variance. The most significantly factor influencing rehabilitation patients' risk of fallings was activities-specific balance confidence which explained 23.5% of the variance.
CONCLUSION
The study results indicate that activities-specific balance confidence as well as physical factors should be considered for interventions to decrease risk of fallings in rehabilitation patients with impaired mobility.