[Prevalence of fear of falling and related factors in community-dwelling older people].

AIM: To know, in the population over 70, independent for walking, the prevalence of the concern to fall according to the short version of the Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) questionnaire, in old people living in the community and their associated factors.

DESIGN: Cross-sectional study.

LOCATION: Centro de Salud El Greco, Getafe, Madrid, Spain.

PARTICIPANTS: 189 patients ≥70years with a Barthel ≥60, independent for walking (walk 45minutes without help or with a cane). The study was offered to a total of 328 people, of these accepted 217 and rejected 111.

MAIN MEASUREMENTS: The dependent variable, fear of falling (FOF), was evaluated by means of the short FES-I questionnaire, considering as a cut-off point for the positive screening of the MC a score ≥11. As independent variables we considered: Barthel index, Downton scale, the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) fragility test, falls in the last year, injuries associated with falls, time since the last fall, sensory deficit, use of gait devices, comorbidity and pharmacological treatment.

RESULTS: The prevalence of FOF was 42.9% (95%CI: 35.5-50.2). The factors associated with FOF in the final multivariate analysis were: female sex, living alone, high risk of falls, presence of frailty (SPPB≤9), use of hypotensive drugs, and injuries associated with previous falls.

CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of FOF in older people is high. Primary Care professionals should systematize the screening of this health problem, prioritizing especially in people who present the following risk factors: being a woman, living alone, having a low score on the SPPB (as an indicator of frailty) or presenting a high risk of falls.