Medical School of Chinese PLA, Beijing, China.
Department of Nursing, The First Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China.
Front Public Health. 2021 Dec 23;9:766959. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.766959. eCollection 2021.
Fear of falling (FOF) is as significant as a fall, leading to limited physical activity and poor quality of life among senior citizens. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of FOF and its association with physical function and fall history among the senior citizens (≥75 years old) living in rural areas of China. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in eastern China from June to October 2019. All elderly participants were recruited during their attendance for the free health examinations in villages and towns organized by the local healthcare authorities. Data on sociodemographics, fall history, FOF conditions, self-reported comorbidity and regular medications were collected by face-to-face interview, and the physical function status was evaluated through a field test. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to compare the differences in physical function and fall history of senior citizens with/without FOF. A total of 753 senior citizens (mean age = 79.04) participated in this study. Of these, 63.5% were aged 75-80. FOF was reported in 22.8% of the participants, while 18.5% had a fall in the past year. Among the senior citizens with and without a fall history, the prevalences of FOF were 38.8 and 19.2%, respectively. On multivariate analyses, FOF was independently associated with the Time Up and Go Test (TUG) duration (OR = 1.080; 95% CI: 1.034-1.128), 4-Stage Balance Test score (OR = 0.746; 95% CI: 0.597-0.931), fall history (OR = 2.633; 95% CI: 1.742-3.980), cerebral apoplexy (OR = 2.478; 95% CI: 1.276-4.813) and comorbidities (≥2) (OR = 1.637; 95% CI: 1.066-2.514), while the correlation between FOF and the 30-s chair stand test was only statistically significant in univariate analysis ( = -3.528, < 0.001). High prevalence of FOF is observed among the senior citizens living in rural areas of China. FOF is strongly correlated with physical function performance and fall history. Therefore, the implementation of targeted FOF prevention measures is key to improve the physical activity of the senior citizens, which would ultimately lead to fall prevention and improved quality of life.
恐惧跌倒（FOF）与跌倒一样重要，会导致老年人身体活动受限和生活质量下降。本研究旨在调查中国农村地区老年人（≥75 岁）FOF 的患病率及其与身体功能和跌倒史的关系。这是一项在中国东部进行的横断面研究，于 2019 年 6 月至 10 月进行。所有老年参与者均在当地卫生当局组织的村镇免费健康检查中接受招募。通过面对面访谈收集社会人口统计学、跌倒史、FOF 状况、自我报告的合并症和常规药物使用情况的数据，并通过现场测试评估身体功能状况。对有/无 FOF 的老年人进行单变量和多变量分析，比较其身体功能和跌倒史的差异。共有 753 名老年人（平均年龄=79.04 岁）参加了这项研究。其中，63.5%年龄在 75-80 岁之间。22.8%的参与者报告有 FOF，18.5%在过去一年中跌倒过。在有/无跌倒史的老年人中，FOF 的患病率分别为 38.8%和 19.2%。多变量分析显示，FOF 与计时起立行走测试（TUG）时间（OR=1.080；95%CI：1.034-1.128）、4 步平衡测试评分（OR=0.746；95%CI：0.597-0.931）、跌倒史（OR=2.633；95%CI：1.742-3.980）、脑卒中（OR=2.478；95%CI：1.276-4.813）和合并症（≥2）（OR=1.637；95%CI：1.066-2.514）独立相关，而 FOF 与 30 秒椅子站立测试的相关性仅在单变量分析中具有统计学意义（=-3.528，<0.001）。中国农村地区老年人 FOF 的患病率较高。FOF 与身体功能表现和跌倒史密切相关。因此，实施有针对性的 FOF 预防措施是提高老年人身体活动能力的关键，这将最终预防跌倒并提高生活质量。
