Article

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between fear of falling and gait
performance in well-functioning older persons. DESIGN: Survey. SETTING:
Community. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects (N=860, aged 65-70y) were a subsample of
participants enrolled in a cohort study who underwent gait measurements.
INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Fear of falling and its
severity were assessed by 2 questions about fear and related activity
restriction. Gait performance, including gait variability, was measured using
body-fixed sensors. RESULTS: Overall, 29.6% (210/860) of the participants
reported fear of falling, with 5.2% (45/860) reporting activity restriction. Fear
of falling was associated with reduced gait performance, including increased gait
variability. A gradient in gait performance was observed from participants
without fear to those reporting fear without activity restriction and those
reporting both fear and activity restriction. For instance, stride velocity
decreased from 1.15+/-.15 to 1.11+/-.17 to 1.00+/-.19 m/s (P<.001) in
participants without fear, with fear but no activity restriction and with fear
and activity restriction, respectively. In multivariate analysis, fear of falling
with activity restriction remained associated with reduced gait performance,
independent of sex, comorbidity, functional status, falls history, and depressive
symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: In these well-functioning older people, those reporting
fear of falling with activity restriction had reduced gait performance and
increased gait variability, independent of health and functional status. These
relationships suggest that early interventions targeting fear of falling might
potentially help to prevent its adverse consequences on mobility and function in
similar populations.
CI - Copyright 2010 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine. Published by
Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS