The effects of social isolation due to COVID-19 on the fear of movement, falling, and physical activity in older people

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the interaction between fear of movement, fall risk, and physical activity levels in ageing individuals who experienced social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: In this descriptive and cross-sectional study, 254 eligible participants used an online background survey. Individuals’ fear of movement was evaluated by the kinesiophobia causes scale, fall risk by the falls efficacy scale, and physical activity levels by the physical activity scale for the ageing. Results: The fear of movement had a significant positive interaction on fall risk (β = 0.471, R2 = 0.495, p < 0.001). The fall risk had a negative effect on physical activity (β = −1.686, R2 = 0.161, p < 0.001). The fear of movement and fall risk explained 15.6% of the change in physical activity levels of ageing individuals (p < 0.001). Conclusions: These results showed a significant interaction between physical activity levels and fear of movement, with a high fall risk in ageing individuals during the pandemic period.