Abstract

Background: Among the elderly, fear of falling (FOF) is a common and dangerous health issue. FOF has been linked to a variety of negative outcomes, including disability in performing basic daily activities, decreased social interactions, depression, poor health-related quality of life, and all-cause mortality. Finding the predictors of FOF can aid in avoiding it and its consequences.

Objectives: To assess the fear of falling and identify its associated factors among the elderly attending the outpatient clinics at Menoufia university hospital.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a convenient non-probability sample of 710 older adults who attended the outpatient clinics at Menoufia university hospital. They were assessed using four tools including questions about Socio-demographic and Clinical Data, Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), Katz and Akpom Scale, and the Original General Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale.

Results: FOF was present in 81.4% of the studied participants. On the analysis of the factors associated with FOF using logistic regression, the results determined older ages (≥75 years, OR= 12.88, CI 95%; 7.09-23.40), moderate and severe degrees of anxiety (GAD-7 score≥ 10, OR= 1.80, CI 95%; 1.07-3.04), presence of chronic diseases (OR= 0.342 CI 95%; 0.201-0.582), living alone (OR=10.69 CI 95%; 5.26- 21.77) and is partially dependent in performing activities of daily living (Katz score 7-12, OR= 10.07 CI 95%; 5.64-17.96).

Conclusion: FOF was common in the elderly. It should be assessed regularly, and those at higher risk of developing a fear of falling should be screened. Prevention programs should be implemented to reduce FOF.