Search

Falls are serious problems for older adults and they usually result from an interaction of multiple risk factors (AGS, 2001). Unfortunately, older adults who have fallen or who fear falling may restrict activity, thus causing a dangerous cycle of functional decline, future falls, and fear of falling (Friedman et al., 2002). The purpose of this study was to begin to establish the construct validity of a comprehensive falls risk screening instrument by examining the association between falls efficacy (i.e., a measure of fear of falling) and falls risk. Participants were 130 independentliving older adults (M age = 72.5 years, SD = 10.5) who were evaluated using a comprehensive falls risk screening instrument developed according to the AGS risk factors (2001). The screening instrument measures falls risk in five domains, including history of falls, medication management, vision, physical functioning (i.e., mobility and balance), and home environment. These domains are averaged to produce a total falls risk score. The falls risk domains and total score are based on a 0-100 point scale with 100 representing high risk for falls. The participants also responded to the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES; Tinetti et al., 1990). The FES assesses the perceived efficacy for avoiding a fall during 10 activities of daily living. The FES score is the sum of scores on each of the 10 activities with a range of possible values between 10 and 100 and a higher score reflecting lower efficacy. Multiple regressions adjusting for gender, race, marital status, and education were conducted to analyze the relationships between the total FES score, the five falls risk scores, and the total falls risk score. As hypothesized, the total FES score was positively related to the physical functioning (b = .734, p < .01) and total falls risk (b = .297, p < .05) scores. The results provide preliminary evidence of the construct validity of a comprehensive falls risk screening instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]