Lane Risha A, Mazari Fayyaz, Mockford Katherine A, Vanicek Natalie, Chetter Ian C, Coughlin Patrick A
Academic Vascular Surgical Unit, Hull Royal Infirmary, Hull, Hull York Medical School, University of Hull, United Kingdom.
Vasc Endovascular Surg. 2014 May;48(4):297-304. doi: 10.1177/1538574413519711. Epub 2014 Jan 19.
Intermittent claudication is associated with poor physical function, quality of life (QoL), and balance impairment. Fear of falling (FoF) is a recognized contributing factor to poor physical ability. Any link between claudication and FoF is yet to be determined. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of FoF in claudicants and its relationship with physical function and QoL.
A prospective observational study was performed. Fear of falling was determined using the Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC) questionnaire and the categorical question "Are you afraid of falling?" Physical ability and QoL (Short Form 36 and Vascular QoL) were determined.
A total of 161 claudicants (118 men, median age of 69 years) were assessed; 83 answered the categorical question "Are you afraid of falling?" By receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, an ABC threshold <74% denoted a FoF, which was associated with poorer physical function and QoL.
Fear of falling is associated with poor physical, social, and psychological function, addressing this may improve all aspects of health.
间歇性跛行与身体功能差、生活质量（QoL）及平衡功能受损相关。害怕跌倒（FoF）是导致身体能力差的一个公认因素。间歇性跛行与害怕跌倒之间的任何联系尚待确定。本研究旨在探讨间歇性跛行患者中害怕跌倒的发生率及其与身体功能和生活质量的关系。
进行了一项前瞻性观察性研究。使用特定活动平衡信心（ABC）问卷和“你害怕跌倒吗？”这一分类问题来确定害怕跌倒的情况。测定身体能力和生活质量（简短健康调查问卷36项简表和血管生活质量量表）。
共评估了161例间歇性跛行患者（118名男性，中位年龄69岁）；83人回答了“你害怕跌倒吗？”这一分类问题。通过受试者工作特征曲线分析，ABC阈值<74%表示存在害怕跌倒，这与较差的身体功能和生活质量相关。
害怕跌倒与身体、社会和心理功能差相关，解决这一问题可能会改善健康的各个方面。
