Self-Reported Unsteadiness Predicts Fear of Falling, Activity Restriction, Falls, and Disability

Abstract

Objective To determine if self-reported unsteadiness during walking is associated with fear of falling (FOF), fear-related activity restriction, falls, and disability over 2 years in community-dwelling adults. Design Data were obtained from the first 2 waves of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a population-based study. Setting Participants completed a home-based interview and a center-based health assessment at baseline and a home-based interview at 2 years follow-up. Participants Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years, with Mini-Mental State Examination score ≥18 at baseline, and fully observed variables were included in the analyses (N = 1621). Measurements Outcome variables were FOF, fear-related activity restriction, recurrent falls, and disability. Results Unsteadiness was independently associated with an increased risk of all outcomes at follow-up after adjusting for sociodemographic variables, and physical, mental, and cognitive health (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] range 1.49–2.29; P