Effect of Educational Intervention on Fear of Falling in the Elderly People: A Randomized Cluster Trial

Falls are one of the most common health problems for persons over 60 years old. The elderly person will suffer from physical, mental-psychological, and social problems after falling. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of educational intervention on fear of falling in the elderly people in Ahvaz.

This study was a randomized controlled clinical trial which performed on 80 elderly people covered by health centers of Ahvaz in 2018. The samples were selected by multistage random sampling method and randomly assigned into intervention and control groups. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, a researcher-made questionnaire of knowledge assessment and Fall Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). Data were analyzed using statistical tests by SPSS 22 software.

The mean score of knowledge in the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention with control of the distorting effect of other variables had a statistically significant increase (p<0.001). Also, the mean score of fear of falling in the intervention group compared to the control group after the intervention with control of the distorting effect of other variables had a statistically significant decrease (p<0.001).

By implementing educational programs, the fear of falling in the elderly is reduced, which can lead to improving their efficiency and quality of life.