Evaluation of Anxiety and Fear of Falling in the Older Adults With a History of Orthopedic Surgery due to Fall in 2018

Background and Aim: older adults  is associated with several health risk factors, including falls which have psychological, physical, and social consequences. One of these consequences is a fear of falling (FOF) in the older adults, especially after orthopedic surgery. The aim of this study was to evaluate FOF and anxiety in older adults individuals with a history of orthopedic surgery associated with falls presenting to the orthopedic clinics of the selected teaching hospitals affiliated with Iran University of Medical Sciences. Research method: Two hundred and eighty elderly people presenting to the selected teaching hospitals of Iran University of Medical Sciences were selected for this cross-sectional descriptive-correlation study using convenience sampling. Data collection tools included a demographic information sheet, the Abbreviated Mental Test (AMT), the Falling Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), and 7 items of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21 Items (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics such as independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance (one-way ANOVA) & Linear regression in SPSS version 20 at the significant level of p≤ 0.05. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 69.50±4.29. Men comprised 65% of the participants. About 99% of the older adults participants reported high levels of FOF, 47.9% reported moderate anxiety, and 26% reporting severe to very severe anxiety. The mean score of the Anxiety Rating Scale (11.88±4.18) was higher than the mean score of this tool being 10, indicating high anxiety. In addition, anxiety was significantly correlated with gender, education level, marital status, history of falls, and history of chronic diseases (p<0.05). According to the results of the Pearson correlation coefficient, there was a statistically significant direct correlation between FOF and anxiety (p= 0.001, r = -0.254). According to the results of linear regression analysis, being a woman with a standard coefficient of 0.183 had the greatest effect on "anxiety" and being a woman, being single, good economic status and living with a spouse with a standard coefficient of 0.236 and 0.545, respectively. , 0.047, 0.545 had the greatest effect on "fear of falling". Conclusion: The frequency of FOF seems to be significantly high in older adults individuals with a history of orthopedic surgery. Given the adverse consequences of FOF as well as the high prevalence of anxiety in the elderly, it is recommended that counseling programs be provided for older adults with a history of orthopedic surgery associated with falls at the time of discharge from the hospital.