Presence of Fear of Fall in the Absence of Balance Deficits and its Impact on Quality of Life in Elderly Population

Sai Sumanth Thatamsetty, Sivakumar Ramachandran

Abstract: Background: Fear of Fall (FOF) is a self-perception of the ability to balance; it can limit an individual from performing Activities of daily life, though the individual does not have a skeletal or neurological cause for losing balance. Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine that fear of fall can occur even without balance problems and a history of fall, which impacts on quality of life in the Elderly population. Methods: Fifty elderly subjects, both genders, above 60 years, were recruited from old age homes and community-dwelling elderly people. Assessment of balance performed by the Berg balance scale (BBS). FOF was assessed by the Fall efficacy scale (FES-I). BBS scores above 45 were included in the study. Presence of FOF measured by FES-I was analyzed for its severity, gender and age variations, relationship with fall history, and BBS scores. Non-parametric testing was used to test the variables. Results: All 50 participants had severe FOF based on the FES-I score. Females had a higher FES-I score. Cohort of participants with a BBS score less than 51 with a history of fall had a higher FES-I score compared to other participants. Conclusion: FOF is found in the elderly without apparent risk for fall based on the Berg Balance Scale score. FOF with education on fall prevention, behavioral modification, and environment-specific training will be effective in preventing future falls. Clinical implication: Greater understanding is expected to increase quality of life in elderly individuals and for clinical practice.

Keywords: Balance, Berg Balance scale, FOF, Falls efficacy scale-I, Quality of life