BACKGROUND To investigate the relationship between clinical risk factors, including visual field (VF) defects and visual acuity, and a fear of falling, among patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). METHODS All participants answered the following question at a baseline ophthalmic examination: Are you afraid of falling? The same question was then answered every 12 months for 3 years. ...

BACKGROUND Fear of falling is a common and potentially disabling problem among older adults. However, little is known about this condition in older adults with diabetes mellitus. The aims of this study were to investigate the impact of the fear of falling on clinical, functional and gait variables in older women with type 2 diabetes and to identify which variables could predict the fear of fall...

OBJECTIVES To identify the characteristics of elderly persons who develop a fear of falling after experiencing a fall and to investigate the association of this fear with changes in health status over time. DESIGN A prospective study of falls over a 2-year period (1991-92). Falls were ascertained using bimonthly postcards plus telephone interview with a standardized (World Health Organisation...

OBJECTIVES To evaluate the effects of a multicomponent cognitive behavioral intervention on fear of falling and activity avoidance in older adults. DESIGN Randomized controlled trial. SETTING Community-dwelling adults in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS Five hundred forty adults aged 70 and older who reported fear of falling and fear-induced activity avoidance (280 intervention, 260 control)...

OBJECTIVE This article aimed to critically examine preexisting conceptualizations of the relationship among fear of falling, falls efficacy, and falls and to offer a new theoretical model incorporating findings from the recent literature. METHOD This is a theoretical article based on a review of preexisting findings pertaining to fear of falling and falls efficacy. RESULTS Traditional conce...

BACKGROUND In their letters to the editor, Lacherez et al. [Lacherez, P.F., Wood, J.M., Kerr, G.K., 2007. Does activity level mediate or suppress the association between fear of falling and falls? Prev. Med. 31; (Electronic publication ahead of print)] and Hafeman and Schwartz [Hafeman, D., Schwartz, S., 2007. Assessing mediation: The necessity of theoretical considerations. Prev. Med. 26; (Ele...

This review explores underlying features that may influence fear of falling and the effectiveness of multifactorial falls prevention programs in community dwelling non-frail adults aged 65 and older. It also examines the interrelationship between fear of falling and multifactorial falls prevention interventions. A literature search of medical databases was conducted to identify articles that ad...

BACKGROUND Fear of falling in older adults has been associated with generalised anxiety and may lead to avoidance of activities, with a further negative impact on future falls. Individual differences in personality associated with anxiety have not been previously examined in relation to fear of falling. Current assessment measures and interventions designed to reduce fear of falling in older ad...

Little is known about the risk factors for the fear of falling in elderly Korean individuals. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the risk factors for fear of falling in a representative elderly population of over 10,000 individuals aged 65 years and older. A multivariate multinomial analysis revealed that the risk factors associated with a severe fear of falling were being female [odd...