Dataset Information

Fear of Falling Contributing to Cautious Gait Pattern in Women Exposed to a Fictional Disturbing Factor: A Non-randomized Clinical Trial.

ABSTRACT: Objective: This study aimed to investigate the gait pattern of elderly women with and without fall-history, with high and low fear of falling, when exposed to a disturbing factor. Materials and Methods: Forty-nine elderly women without cognitive impairment agreed to participate. Participants were divided into four groups, considering the history of falls and fear of falling. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed to assess gait kinematics before and after exposure to the fictional disturbing factor (psychological and non-motor agent). Results: After being exposed to the perturbation, all showed shorter step length, stride length and slower walking speed. Those without fall-history and with high fear of falling showed greater changes and lower Gait Profile Score. Conclusion: The gait changes shown in the presence of a fear-of-falling causing agent led to a cautious gait pattern in an attempt to increase protection. However, those changes increased fall-risk, boosted by fear of falling. Clinical Trial Registration: www.residentialclinics.gov.br, identifier: RBR-35xhj5.

SUBMITTER: Bueno GAS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6445048 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Fear of Falling Contributing to Cautious Gait Pattern in Women Exposed to a Fictional Disturbing Factor: A Non-randomized Clinical Trial.

Bueno Guilherme Augusto Santos GAS Gervásio Flávia Martins FM Ribeiro Darlan Martins DM Martins Anabela Correia AC Lemos Thiago Vilela TV de Menezes Ruth Losada RL

Frontiers in neurology 20190326

<b>Objective:</b> This study aimed to investigate the gait pattern of elderly women with and without fall-history, with high and low fear of falling, when exposed to a disturbing factor. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> Forty-nine elderly women without cognitive impairment agreed to participate. Participants were divided into four groups, considering the history of falls and fear of falling. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed to assess gait kinematics before and after exposure to the fic ...[more]

PMID: 30972013

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Project description:Fear of falling (FoF) was described as a dichotomy, whereby FoF on one hand posed a threat to the sense of security but on the other hand provided protection against harm through increased awareness and cautious behaviour. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of FoF for women with osteoporosis.IntroductionFear of falling is a major problem for many individuals in society and it increases with age; it is more common among women, especially women with a diagnosis of osteoporosis. It is important to gain a deeper understanding of the concept of fear of falling among women with osteoporosis to be able to devise fall prevention programmes to address fear of falling in the most appropriate way. Therefore, we aimed to explore and describe how older women with osteoporosis and self-reported balance deficits conceptualise their fear of falling METHODS: A qualitative study with individual interviews was carried out, using a semi-structured interview guide. The interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed with inductive qualitative content analysis. The study includes 25 informants, all women with osteoporosis aged 66-85 years.ResultsThe analysis resulted in one overarching theme, "Fear of falling is a protection and danger", and three main themes: "Fear of falling is a sense of unease", "Fear of falling is to be vulnerable", and "Fear of falling is a call for help".ConclusionThe concept of fear of falling was perceived in terms of emotional states as well as cognitive and active strategies and was described in the context of being able to protect oneself in order to stay safe and secure. The concept was described as a dichotomy, whereby fear of falling on the one hand posed a threat to the sense of security but on the other hand provided protection against harm through increased awareness and cautious behaviour. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of fear of falling and how it could be seen from both a positive and negative perspective.

Project description:BackgroundOlder adults experience a significant decline in muscle integrity and function with aging. Early detection of decreased muscle quality can pave the way for interventions to mitigate the progression of age-related physical declines. Phase angle (PhA) and impedance ratio (IR) are measures of muscle integrity, which can be assessed quickly via bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) and may be indicative of physical function.ObjectiveThis study aimed to characterize the relationships among handgrip strength (HGS), sit-to-stand (STS), BTrackS balance scores, fear of falling (evaluated using the Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International [Short FES-I]), and IR among community-dwelling older adult women classified as having a low or high PhA.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 85 older women (mean age 75.0, SD 7.2 years; mean weight 71.0, SD 15.0 kg; mean height 162.6, SD 6.1 cm). To examine the influence of PhA on performance measures, participants were divided into 2 PhA groups: high (>4.1°; n=56) and low (≤4.1°; n=29). Data were nonnormative; hence, the Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate between-group differences, and Kendall τ coefficients were used to determine the partial correlations.ResultsThe low PhA group had a significantly higher IR (mean 0.85, SD 0.03) than the high PhA group (mean 0.81, SD 0.03; r=.92; P<.001). The high PhA group had superior HGS (mean 21.4, SD 6.2 kg; P=.007; r=0.36), BTrackS balance scores (mean 26.6, SD 9.5 cm; P=.03; r=0.30), and STS scores (mean 16.0, SD 5.5; P<.001; r=0.49) than the low PhA group (mean HGS 17.6, SD 4.7 kg; mean BTrackS balance score 37.1, SD 21.1 cm; mean STS score 10.7, SD 6.2). Both PhA and IR were significantly correlated with HGS and BTrackS balance, STS, and Short FES-I scores (P<.05). However, on adjusting for the whole sample's age, only PhA was strongly correlated with HGS (τb=0.75; P=.003) and STS scores (τb=0.76; P=.002). Short FES-I scores were moderately correlated with IR (τb=0.46; P=.07) after controlling for age. No significant between-group differences were observed for height, weight, or BMI.ConclusionsPhA and IR are associated with physical function and the fear of falling in older women. However, only PhA was significantly associated with physical function (HGS and STS) independent of age. Conversely, only IR was significantly associated with the fear of falling. Diminished physical function and increased IR appear to be characteristics of older women with a PhA of ≤4.1°. These findings suggest that PhA and IR measured through BIA together may serve as a valuable tool for early identification of older women at the risk of functional decline and a heightened fear of falling.

Dataset Information

Fear of Falling Contributing to Cautious Gait Pattern in Women Exposed to a Fictional Disturbing Factor: A Non-randomized Clinical Trial.

Publications

Fear of Falling Contributing to Cautious Gait Pattern in Women Exposed to a Fictional Disturbing Factor: A Non-randomized Clinical Trial.

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