Article

A history of falls or imbalance may lead to a fear of falling, which
may lead to self-imposed avoidance of activity; this avoidance may stimulate a
vicious cycle of deconditioning and subsequent falls. The purpose of
this study was to develop a questionnaire that would quantify avoidance behavior
due to a fear of falling. This study consisted of 2 parts: questionnaire
development and psychometric testing. Questionnaire development involved an
expert panel and 39 residents of an assisted living facility. Sixty-three
community-dwelling individuals with various health conditions participated in
psychometric testing. METHOD: Questionnaire development included the evaluation
of face and content validity and factor analysis of the initial questionnaire.
The final result of questionnaire development was the Fear of Falling Avoidance
Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ). In order to determine its psychometric
properties, reliability and construct validity were assessed through
administration of the FFABQ to participants twice, 1 week apart, and comparison
of the FFABQ with other questionnaires related to fear of falling, functional
measures of balance and mobility, and daily activity levels using an activity
monitor. RESULTS: The FFABQ had good overall test-retest reliability (intraclass
correlation coefficient=.812) and was found to differentiate between participants
who were considered "fallers" (ie, at least one fall in the previous year) and
those who were considered "nonfallers." The FFABQ predicted time spent sitting or
lying and endurance. LIMITATIONS: A relatively small number of people with a fear
of falling were willing to participate. CONCLUSION: Results from this study offer
evidence for the reliability and validity of the FFABQ and support the notion
that the FFABQ measures avoidance behavior rather than balance confidence,
self-efficacy, or fear.

Langue : ANGLAIS