Predictors of Fear of Falling among Iranian Older Adults with Hip Fracture and Controls

Predictive factors of concern about falling after hospital discharge among older adults with fragility hip fractures: a prospective cohort study

PURPOSE

Concern about falling [CaF] is common among older adults, particularly after fragility hip fracture. This condition is associated with adverse health outcomes and a reduced quality of life. The aim of this study is to explore predictors of CaF among older patients with fragility hip fractures 2 weeks after hospital discharge.

METHODS

A prospective observational cohort study was conducted at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Thailand. Participants were patients aged 60 years and above who had fragility hip fractures and were admitted to the hospital from March 2023 to March 2024. CaF was assessed using the short Falls Efficacy Scale-International 2 weeks after hospital discharge. Predictors examined pre-fall characteristics, fall-related data, surgery-related data, and postoperative data. In the full model approach, the multivariable Gaussian regression was employed to identify predictive factors.

RESULTS

Of the 165 patients included in the study (mean age 78.76 ± 8.72 years), 79.39% were female. In the full model approach, pre-fracture activities of daily living (ADL) < 20 (adjusted mean difference [aMD] 3.44, 95% CI 1.04-5.85, p = 0.005) and shorter in-hospital duration of walking training (aMD - 0.66, 95% CI - 1.10 to - 0.22, p = 0.004) were identified as predictors of CaF at 2 weeks after hospital discharge.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study emphasize the importance of assessing pre-fracture functional status and the shorter duration of in-hospital walking training as key predictors of CaF in older adults with fragility hip fractures. Enhancing functional capacity and extending the duration of walking training during hospitalization are crucial steps in reducing CaF in this population.

Fear of falling from the perspective of affected persons-A systematic review and qualitative meta-summary using Sandelowski and Barroso's method

BACKGROUND

Fear of falling (FoF) affects a large number of older people, whether they have a history of falls or not. This has an impact on their lives. FoF is a potentially modifiable factor, which has been identified as one of the most important threats to older people's autonomy.

OBJECTIVES

To gain a comprehensive understanding of the phenomenon, we conducted a systematic review and meta-summary. The available evidence from qualitative research exploring how people experience FoF and how FoF affects daily living was aggregated.

METHODS

We followed the approach by Sandelowski and Barroso (2007) as a method to aggregate knowledge based on an exhaustive literature search. We searched the databases CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and SSCI systematically for relevant articles as well as grey literature until September 2020. Out of the included studies, findings were extracted, edited, grouped and abstracted into meta-findings. Finally, the manifest frequency effect size of each abstracted meta-finding was calculated.

RESULTS

Out of 2978 identified studies, 15 met our inclusion criteria, which were published between 1993 and 2017 and included a total of 276 participants. We extracted 578 findings, and the abstraction process resulted in 183 meta-findings. We identified three main topics: 'Triggers and reasons for FoF identified by affected people', 'Consequences attributed to FoF' and 'Strategies to manage FoF in daily life'.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that FoF has a far-reaching impact on the lives of those affected. With the aggregation of the existing qualitative data with the application of the frequency effect size, we were able to identify three areas of particular importance to those affected: (1) controlling the risk, (2) creating a safe environment and (3) staying independent. Implications for practice these three areas of particular importance to those affected should be taken into account when revisiting or creating new interventions to prevent or reduce FoF.