Correlation between concern about falling and functional muscle fitness in community-dwelling elderly

Abstract

Introduction: To establish a correlation between concern about falling and a more comprehensive functional parameter, functional muscle fitness, a variable that encompasses functional components such as balance, muscle strength, power, flexibility and motor coordination in an integrated way. Functional muscle fitness is measured using the sitting-rising (from the floor) test (SRT), a simple, safe, fast and ecological test. Objective: The aim of our study was to determine the correlation between concern about falling and functional muscle fitness in the elderly. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted. The sample consisted of 53 elderly people of both sexes (86.8% women; 65.6 ± 4.7 years old; body mass index 28.5 ± 3.8 kg/m2), who were assessed for concern about falling (through Falls Efficacy Scale International, FES-I-Brazil) and functional muscle fitness (through SRT). Correlation analysis was performed using the Spearman test. For all analyses, a significance level of 5% (p < 0.05) was established. Results: Concern about falling showed a negative correlation with functional muscle fitness (rho =-0.229; p = 0.015). Conclusion: Elderly people with lower levels of functional muscle fitness have a higher level of concern about falling.