Fear of falling in older adults living at home: associated factors*

Abstract

Objective: To identify the factors associated with the fear of falling in the older adult living at home. Method: Cross-sectional study with probabilistic sampling of older adult enrolled in two Family Health Strategies (FHS). The fear of falling was measured by the Brazilian version of the Falls Efficacy Scale-International and by a household questionnaire that contained the explanatory variables. Multiple Linear Regression using the stepwise selection technique and the Generalized Linear Models were used in the statistical analyses. Results: A total of 170 older adults participated in the research, 85 from each FHS. The majority (57.1%) aged between 60 and 69; 67.6% were female; 46.1% fell once in the last year. The majority of the older adults (66.5%) had high fear of falling. In the final multiple linear regression model, it was identified that a higher number of previous falls, female gender, older age, and worse health self-assessment explained 37% of the fear of falling among the older adult. Conclusion: The findings reinforce the need to assess the fear of falling among the older adult living at home, in conjunction with the development and use of strategies based on modifiable factors by professionals to reduce falls and improve health status, which may contribute to the reduction of the fear of falling among the older adult.