Psychiatry Investig.  2017 Nov;14(6):894-899. 10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.894.

Risk Factors Associated with the Fear of Falling in Community-Living Elderly People in Korea: Role of Psychological Factors

• Park JI
• Yang JC
• Chung S

• KMID: 2402421
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2017.14.6.894

Abstract

Little is known about the risk factors for the fear of falling in elderly Korean individuals. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the risk factors for fear of falling in a representative elderly population of over 10,000 individuals aged 65 years and older. A multivariate multinomial analysis revealed that the risk factors associated with a severe fear of falling were being female [odds ratio (OR)=4.396], older age (OR=5.550 for those aged ≥85 years), lower level of education (OR=0.719 for those with ≥13 years of schooling), chronic illness (OR=2.788 for those with more than three chronic illnesses), poor subjective health (OR=6.268), functional impairments (OR=2.340), a history of falling (OR=7.062), and depression (OR=1.774). The ORs for each of these risk factors were particularly high in participants with a severe fear of falling. Particularly, a history of falling and/or poor subjective health status had strong independent associations with the fear of falling. The present findings may help health care professionals identify individuals that would benefit from interventions aimed at reducing the fear of falling.

Keyword

Fear of falling; Risk factor; Depression; Subjective health status

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls*
Aged*
Chronic Disease
Delivery of Health Care
Depression
Diagnostic Self Evaluation
Education
Female
Humans
Korea*
Psychology*
Risk Factors*