Relationships between quality of life, fear of falling, and functional performance in community-dwelling older women with fall risks
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Abstract
The aim of this study is to examine the correlations between quality of life (QOL), fear of falling (FOF), and functional performance, as well as to compare the differences in those variables between two older adult women groups (faller and non-faller). Sixty five community-dwelling older women with fall risks were recruited from a public health service centre in Mahasarakham Municipality, Thailand. The Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36), Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), 10-Meter Walk Test (10MWT), Five-Times Sit-to-Stand Test (FTSST), and One-Leg Stand Test (OLST) were outcomes. Spearman’s correlation coefficient, independent t-test, and Mann–Whitney U test were used for data analysis. The results showed that seven in eight SF-36 domains were significantly correlated with FES-I (p-value < 0.01), and only the physical function domain was related to TUG, 10MWT, FTSST, and OLST (p-value < 0.05). The participants with a low concern of falling had better SF36 and TUG scores than those with a high concern of falling. There was a relationship between some SF-36 domains, FOF, and physical function tests in both the faller and non-faller groups, and a significant difference in only the TUG between the groups. Conclusion, older adult women who have low QOL and previous fall experiences have high FOF and low physical performance. This relationship supports healthcare providers in planning fall prevention programmes for community-dwelling older adult women.
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