Fall risk and avoidance behavior due to fear of falling in elderly nursing home residents

Sevda Turen
ID
Email src
Cennet Kara Ozcalik
ID
Gülisan Yildiz
ID
Meryem Irem Tekir
ID
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Arel University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Istanbul Kültür University, Istanbul, Türkiye
Received: 24 July 2024 / Revised: 12 September 2024 / Accepted: 16 September 2024 / Published: 30 March 2025

Abstract

Introduction and aim. Falls in the elderly affect their daily activities, causing a decrease in their quality of life and may even lead to death. This study aims to examine the risk of falling and the relationship between fear of falling and avoidance behaviors in elderly nursing home residents.

Material and methods. Data were obtained using the “Fall Risk Assessment Scale (FRAS)” and the “Fear of Falling Avoidance Behavior Questionnaire (FFABQ)”.

Results. The average age of the participants was 70.70±5.23 years. Total mean scores of FRAS and FFABQ were significantly higher in participants who could partially meet their daily needs on their own, had chronic diseases, used continuous medi cation, had problems with walking or balance, had vision or hearing problems, used walking aids, had fear of falling, and had experienced falls in the last three months. It was found that their average was significantly higher. It was determined that there was a strong and significant positive relationship between the FRAS and FFABQ total score averages.

Conclusion. It was determined that elderly residents of nursing homes have a high risk of falling and that increased risk is as sociated with an increase in avoidance behaviors due to fear of falling.

 

Cite

Turen S, Ozcalik CK, Yildiz G, Tekir MI. Fall risk and avoidance behavior due to fear of falling in elderly nursing home residents. Eur J Clin Exp Med. 2025;23(1):76–82. doi: 10.15584/ejcem.2025.1.12.

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited