Health-Related Quality of Life in Men with Fractures and Fear of Falling in General Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

UNLABELLED

This study aims to assess how fractures and fear of falling affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in men (≥50 years) across different domains. Design: Observational study.

SETTING

Primary care.

SUBJECTS

237 men aged 50-90 years.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Age, frac-tures, fear of falling, EQ-5D. A total of 122 men (51.47% of the male cohort) participated, the mean age was 69 ± 5 (≥65-74 years 26.2%, ≥75-84 years 21.3%, ≥85 years 9.8%). Poorer EQ-5D scores were observed in men ≥ 65 years with fractures in the pain domain ( = 0.04), while men < 65 showed better scores in mobility ( = 0.04), self-care ( = 0.04), daily activities ( = 0.04), and anxiety/depression ( = 0.01). Fear of falling significantly impacted HRQoL across all ages, with men ≥ 65 reporting worse mobility ( = 0.02) and higher anxiety/depression ( = 0.01), while men < 65 experienced less pain ( = 0.00). This study shows a relationship between frac-tures, fear of falling, and the perception of the various dimensions of HRQoL in older men. It highlights the need for targeted interventions and follow-up systems to monitor recovery and address fears of falling in men aged 65 and above post-fracture.