The Relationship Between Fear of Falling and Physical Activity among Older Adults

Physical activity (PA) improves balance, walking, and muscle strength and reduces the prevalence of falls among the elderly. Fear of falling (FOF) is the most common fear among older adults and a major health problem among them. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between FOF and PA among older adults in Iran.

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 687 elderly people aged ≥ 60 years in Yazd province, Iran using cluster sampling method. The data collection tools were The Falls Efficacy Scale International and the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly. The data were analyzed by describing frequency distribution, Mann-Whitney, Spearman correlation tests and Hierarchical regression under SPSS software.

The mean score of FOF and PA were 27.08 ± 12.30 (range 16-64) and 86.87 ± 79.15 (range 0-494), respectively. There was an inverse significant correlation between PA and FOF(r = -0.304) and with increasing age, PA of the elderly decreases, and the FOF increases. Demographic variables (age, gender, living status, and retirement status) which were entered into the model in the first stage, predicted 10.9 % of the variance of PA (p < 0.001). In step 2, chronic diseases predicted 3.5 % which was statistically significant and in step 3, FOF also significantly predicted 2.8% of the variance of PA (p < 0.001).

The level of PA among older adults is very low, so it is very important to know the factors influencing that, to take action to prevent the occurrence of these factors, and also to eliminate them. Considering that demographic variables and FOF can predict changes in PA, therefore, it is possible to improve the PA of older adults by performing appropriate interventions on these issues.