Department of Health Sciences, Lund University, Box 157, 221 00, Lund, Sweden.
Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, Skåne University Hospital, Lund, Sweden.
BMC Geriatr. 2018 Feb 6;18(1):44. doi: 10.1186/s12877-018-0735-1.
Fear of falling is common among persons with Parkinson's disease and is negatively associated with quality of life. However a lack of in-depth understanding of fear of falling as a phenomenon persists. This qualitative study aimed to explore the experiences of fear of falling in persons with Parkinson's disease.
Individual interviews were performed with twelve persons with Parkinson's disease (median age 70 years, median Parkinson duration 9 years, 50% women). The interviews were semi-structured and followed a study-specific interview guide. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.
Fear of falling was experienced as a disturbing factor in everyday life. It generated a feeling of vulnerability and made daily activities and everyday environments seem potentially hazardous. Persons also missed performing previous activities. The fear of falling was a varying experience, fueled by an awareness of falls and near falls, Parkinson-related symptoms and disabilities, and by others in their environment. The persons adopted different strategies to handle their fear of falling. Activities were adapted, avoided, performed with help, or carried out despite their fear of falling.
The experiences of fear of falling were complex, multifaceted and varied over time and in relation to different activities and environments. This indicates that interventions targeting fear of falling need to be individually tailored for persons with Parkinson's disease and should focus on several aspects, such as Parkinson-related symptoms and disabilities, activities and environmental factors. This study provides new information that increases the understanding of fear of falling, which has implications for researchers as well as clinicians working with persons with Parkinson's disease and fear of falling.
跌倒恐惧在帕金森病患者中很常见，与生活质量呈负相关。然而，人们对跌倒恐惧现象的理解仍然不够深入。本 qualitative 研究旨在探讨帕金森病患者跌倒恐惧的体验。
对 12 名帕金森病患者（中位年龄 70 岁，中位帕金森病病程 9 年，50%为女性）进行了个体访谈。访谈采用半结构式，遵循特定的访谈指南。对转录的访谈进行了定性内容分析。
跌倒恐惧被体验为日常生活中的一个干扰因素。它产生了一种脆弱感，使日常活动和日常环境看起来可能有危险。患者也错过了以前的活动。对跌倒的恐惧是一种不断变化的体验，受到对跌倒和险些跌倒的意识、帕金森相关症状和残疾以及环境中其他人的影响。患者采用了不同的策略来应对他们的跌倒恐惧。活动被适应、避免、在帮助下进行或尽管有跌倒恐惧仍继续进行。
跌倒恐惧的体验是复杂的、多方面的，并且随着时间的推移和不同的活动和环境而变化。这表明，针对跌倒恐惧的干预措施需要针对帕金森病患者进行个体化定制，并应关注几个方面，如帕金森相关症状和残疾、活动和环境因素。本研究提供了新的信息，增加了对跌倒恐惧的理解，这对研究人员和与帕金森病和跌倒恐惧患者合作的临床医生都有影响。
