Fear of Falling and Balance Ability in Older Men: The Priest Study

Abstract

Studies examining fear of falling among older adult men remain limited. The objectives of this study were to compare balance confidence in 2 age cohorts of older clergy and identify predictive determinants of balance confidence in a liturgical research initiative. Participants included 131 community-dwelling Roman Catholic priests age 60–97 yr living in religious communities in 10 mid-Atlantic states. Subjects completed the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), timed up-and-go (TUG) test, and 15-item Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Younger priests (60–74 yr) demonstrated a significantly higher ABC score than the older cohort (75 and above yr) of priests (89.1 ± 12.6 vs.78.4 ± 13.9, p = .001). Confidence was significantly correlated with BBS (rho = .69, p < .01), TUG (r = –.58, p < .01), and GDS (r = –.39, p < .01) scores. A stepwise-regression model demonstrated that balance ability, mood, assistive-device use, and physical activity predicted 52% of the variance in balance confidence.

Prevalence of fear of falling, in a sample of elderly adults in the community

“…These assistive devices enable functional independence and offer safety and confidence to the elderly, making it easier for them to carry out their daily activities. However, when not indicated or when used inappropriately, they can have the opposite effect and contribute to unsafe locomotion, forming an instrument capable of causing falls 23,[27][28][29] .…”

Fitness, Balance Efficacy, and Postural Control in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

“…Previous studies have found that balance efficacy is related to functional fitness (Klima, Newton, Keshner, & Davey, 2012;Woollacott & Shumway-Cook, 2002) and postural control (Arnold & Faulkner, 2009). For example, Klima et al (2012) found that balance efficacy is significantly correlated with balance ability and functional mobility in community-dwelling older men.…”

“…For example, Klima et al (2012) found that balance efficacy is significantly correlated with balance ability and functional mobility in community-dwelling older men. Other researchers have found aerobic endurance is strongly related to balance efficacy in older adults (Julius, Brach, Wert, & VanSwearingen, 2012).…”

“…It includes measurements of strength (i.e., chair stand, arm curl), flexibility (i.e., chair sit-and-reach, shoulder stretch), endurance (i.e., 6-min walk, 2-min step test), and functional mobility (i.e., 8-foot up-and-go). Moreover, the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) has been regarded as an important measurement tool used to examine and understand postural control through the integration of visual, somatosensory, and vestibular components (Jacobson, Newman, & Kartush, 1993).Previous studies have found that balance efficacy is related to functional fitness (Klima, Newton, Keshner, & Davey, 2012;Woollacott & Shumway-Cook, 2002) and postural control (Arnold & Faulkner, 2009). For example, Klima et al (2012) found that balance efficacy is significantly correlated with balance ability and functional mobility in community-dwelling older men.…”

Rapid stepping test towards virtual visual objects: Feasibility and convergent validity in older adults

“…A score of zero represents no confidence, while a score of 100 represents complete confidence in performing the activity. The scale was found reliable in elderly and post-stroke populations [33,34], and is often used as an indication of fear of falling [35].…”