Rehabilitation and Therapy Commons^™

Influences Of Balance Confidence, Fear Of Falling, And Fall History On Physical Activity Levels In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Alison Yang Spt, Holly Roberts Pt, Phd

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

Background: Physical activity levels generally decline with increasing age. Few studies have examined the influences of balance confidence, fear of falling, and fall history on physical activity levels in older adults.

Purpose: To determine the relationships between balance confidence, fear of falling, fall history, and physical activity level in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Eighty-eight participants completed the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ), and a self-reported fall history. They reported their monthly activity levels using the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE). Pearson correlation coefficients (r) were used to analyze …

A Vicious Cycle Of Fear Of Falling Avoidance Behavior In Parkinson’S Disease: A Path Analysis, Kameron Jacobson, Nicole Matsunami, Hannah Mccarl, Michelle Regis

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: Postural instability (PI) in Parkinson’s disease (PD) is associated with several negative down- stream consequences. Objective: The purpose was to explore the validity of a theoretical model of these downstream consequences arranged in a vicious cycle wherein PI leads to decreased balance con!dence, which in turn leads to increased fear of falling (FOF) avoidance behavior, which in turn leads to decreased physical conditioning, which then feeds back and negatively affects PI. Methods: A path analysis of cross!sectional data from 55 participants with PD was conducted. The four con- structs in the model connected in succession were: 1. PI (principal …

Quantifying Fear Of Falling By Utilizing Objective Body Sway And Muscle Contraction Measures, Chenfan Gui

Theses & Dissertations

Fear of falling (FOF) is a psychological condition that can lead to increased morbidity and mortality in the elder population. However, the subjective and multidimensional nature of FOF resulted in the limitations of existing FOF measurements, which could influence the quality of those studies. The present study aimed to quantify FOF by using objective center of pressure (COP) trajectories and muscle contraction of the lower extremity to compensate for those limitations. Nineteen young healthy adults (24 years ± 2.47) were recruited in the present study. Subjects were required to watch three 360-degree videos, one control video and two roller coaster …

Comparison Of Balance Confidence, Balance Performance, And Falls Among Age Groups For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Lindsay Dirringer Spt, Ana Sabates Spt, Holly Roberts Pt, Phd

Physical Therapy Research Symposium

Background: Balance confidence and performance is crucial for fall prevention among the elderly but the correlation with age is unknown.

Purpose: Identify changes in balance confidence, balance performance and falls of older age.

Methods: 90 community-dwelling older adults (76+7 years, 54 female, 34 fallers) completed the Activity Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Fear Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire (FABQ), Community Balance and Mobility Scale (CB&M), and Functional Gait Assessment (FGA), and self-reported falls for 6 months. Scores on outcome measures and fall rates were compared using a one-way repeated measures ANOVA for age groups 65-74, 75-84, and 85+.

Results: There were no …

Immediate Effects Of Anodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation On Postural Stability Using Computerized Dynamic Posturography In People With Chronic Post-Stroke Hemiparesis, Jing Nong Liang, Leonard Ubalde, Jordon Jacklin, Peyton Hobson, Sara Wright-Avila, Yun-Ju Lee

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Postural stability is commonly decreased in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis due to multisystemic deficits. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive method to modulate cortical excitability, inducing neuroplastic changes to the targeted cortical areas and has been suggested to potentially improve motor functions in individuals with neurological impairments. The purpose of this double-blinded, sham-controlled study was to examine the acute effects of anodal tDCS over the lesioned motor cortex leg area with concurrent limits of stability training on postural control in individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis. Ten individuals with chronic post-stroke hemiparesis received either anodal or sham tDCS …

The Influence Of Socioeconomic Factors On Fear Of Falling And Mobility Outcomes After Lower Limb Loss: A Preliminary Study, Tyler Chin, Heather Fox, Juan Gutierrez Jr.

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Current research has revealed that as much as 52.4% of individuals with lower limb loss report falling at least once in the past year. Previous research has also indicated that rehabilitation, including physical therapy (PT), generally improves patient outcomes after definitive amputation. Socioeconomic status has been shown to be an important factor in accessing healthcare but has yet to be investigated in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of socioeconomic status and access to PT, and how limb loss affects mobility and fear of falling perception. We hypothesized: [1] individuals with …

Mobility Limitations And Fear Of Falling In Non-English Speaking Older Mexican-Americans, Eric G. James, Phillip Conatser, Murat Karabulut, Suzanne G. Leveille, Jeffrey M. Hausdorff, Sarah Cote, Katherine L. Tucker, Bruce Barton, Jonathan F. Bean, Soham Al Snih, Kyriakos S. Markides

Health & Human Performance Faculty Publications and Presentations

Objective

To determine whether older Mexican-Americans who cannot speak and/or understand spoken English have higher rates of mobility limitations or fear of falling than their English-speaking counterparts.

Design

We conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 1169 community-dwelling Mexican-Americans aged 72–96 years from the 2000–2001 wave of the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. Mobility limitations were defined as having a Short Physical Performance Battery score ≤9, and fear of falling by participant report of being somewhat, fairly, or very afraid of falling. We determined the rates and odds ratios, for having mobility limitations and fear of falling …

The Impact Of Visual Impairments On Mobility Performance In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Lauren Andrew, Talia Davis, Christian Johnson

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background and Purpose: Falls are a major concern for elderly adults and can have a significant impact on overall health and well-being. Declines in vision with aging may be related to the development of fear of falling (FOF) and impaired mobility. It is possible that impaired vision due to common eye diseases can increase the FOF avoidance behavior and affect mobility function in this population. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation among visual impairment, mobility performance, and FOF avoidance behavior in older adults. Methods: Inclusion criteria for eligible participants were: 50 years of age and older, …

A Matter Of Balance: Program Outcomes For Community-Dwelling Older Adults, Tiffany Lau, Victoria Reyes, Adrienne Angeles, Leslie Hollaway

Dissertations, Masters Theses, Capstones, and Culminating Projects

Aims: The purpose of this program evaluation was to determine if A Matter of Balance with volunteer lay leaders (AMOB/VLL) was effective in increasing fall self-efficacy, fall control, and fall management in community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: Participants included community-dwelling older adults over the age of 60 who were concerned about falls and attended at least five of the eight AMOB/VLL program sessions. Fear of falling, pretest, posttest, and 3-, 6-, and 12- month follow-up data were collected from program participants between 2012 and 2013.

Results: Participants demonstrated overall improvements in fall self-efficacy, fall control, and fall management. Qualitative analysis also …

Careful, Not Fearful: A Mixed Methods Study To Investigate Fall-Risk Appraisal And Fear Of Falling In Community-Dwelling Older Adults, P. Karen Simmavong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study investigated older adult’s accuracy in fall-risk judgement and ascertained whether fall-risk appraisal was situation specific or general in nature. Convenience and snowball sampling were used to recruit 30 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and older. An embedded correlational mixed methods was utilized to investigate relative and absolute fall-risk judgement, balance confidence, and hazard identification. Using Pearson Product Moment correlations, multiple regressions, and qualitative analysis, the findings suggest older adults are not always accurate in appraising fall-risk. Judgements were specific and not general in nature, as only 9.30% of variance in risk appraisals and 12.96% of variance in …

The Impact Of Fear Of Falling On Functional Independence Among Older Adults Receiving Home Health Services, Katherine A. Lawson, Eugenia Catalina Gonzalez

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Falls are the fifth leading cause of death for adults aged 65 years and older. Several intrinsic and extrinsic fall risk factors have been identified, butthere is less understanding of the impact of a fear of falling on falls. Seventy percent of recent fallers and 40% percent of non-fallers report a fear of falling. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the correlation between a fear of falling and a history of falls, as well as the impact on the functional independence of community-dwelling older adults receiving home health services.

Methods: The participants completed the …

Development Of A Scale To Assess Avoidance Behavior Due To A Fear Of Falling: The Fear Of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (Ffabq), Cortney Durand, D. Shalom Powell

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Background: 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.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to develop a questionnaire that would quantify avoidance behavior due to a fear of falling.

Design: This study consisted of two parts, questionnaire development and psychometric testing. Questionnaire development included an expert panel and 39 assisted living residents. Psychometric testing included 63 community dwelling subjects with various health conditions.

Methods: Questionnaire development included the evaluation …

Determinants Of Balance Confidence In Community-Dwelling Elderly People, Janine Hatch, Kathleen M. Gill-Body, Leslie G. Portney

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

Background and Purpose. The fear of falling can have detrimental effects on physical function in the elderly population, but the relationship between a persons' confidence in the ability to maintain balance and actual balance ability and functional mobility is not known. The extent to which balance confidence can be explained by balance performance, functional mobility, and sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health-related factors was the focus of this study.

Subjects. The subjects were 50 community-dwelling elderly people, aged 65 to 95 years (X̄=81.7, SD=6.7).

Methods. Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale. Functional mobility was measured using the Timed Up & …