Fear of Falling in People With Chronic Stroke

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. We assessed the prevalence of fear of falling (FoF) in a sample of people with chronic stroke and compared multiple variables (balance, anxiety, depression, activity and participation, and stroke severity) in people with and without FoF. METHOD. This study was a secondary analysis of data collected from a cross-sectional study of mobility after stroke in 77 participants with chronic stroke (>6 mo poststroke). RESULTS. Of the 77 participants, 51 (66%) reported experiencing FoF. People with FoF had significantly decreased balance (p < .001) and activity and participation (p = .006) and significantly increased anxiety (p = .007). People with FoF also had significantly worse stroke severity (p = .001). CONCLUSION. FoF is a prevalent concern in the chronic stroke population. The presence of FoF was associated with a variety of negative consequences. Occupational therapy practitioners should address FoF to help clients manage FoF and possibly improve recovery.

Life-Space Mobility and Relevant Factors in Community-dwelling Individuals with Stroke in Japan: A Cross-sectional Study

“…[35][36][37][38][39] Tsai et al 40) reported fear of falling in almost 70% of community-dwelling stroke survivors, who also had related balance deficits 41) and falls. 40,41) Therefore, to optimize community reintegration, reduction of fear of falling should be a focus in rehabilitation settings. Notably, none of our study subjects stated that they were confident in carrying out all daily activities without falling.…”

Determinants of Falls and Fear of Falling in Ambulatory Persons With Late Effects of Polio

“…As this is the first study to use multivariable analyses to investigate determinants of FOF in persons with late effects of polio, our results are difficult to compare with others. However, in persons with other neurologic diseases, such as stroke and Parkinson disease, decreased balance [33], muscle weakness in the lower limbs [27], and walking limitations [24,34] have been shown to be associated with FOF.…”

Falls and Fear of Falling After Stroke: A Case‐Control Study

“…In contrast, it was the fear of falling that developed immediately after the stroke occurred that predicted falls at follow‐up [17,18]. It has been hypothesized that fear of falling limits patients' mobility, which in turn leads to further deterioration in physical function (balance, strength, and endurance) and leads to falling [19,20]. In addition to its effects on falls, fear of falling is also associated with anxiety [20], poor community reintegration [21], and poor quality of life [22].…”

“…It has been hypothesized that fear of falling limits patients' mobility, which in turn leads to further deterioration in physical function (balance, strength, and endurance) and leads to falling [19,20]. In addition to its effects on falls, fear of falling is also associated with anxiety [20], poor community reintegration [21], and poor quality of life [22]. Hence, understanding the development of fear of falling after stroke is critical to disrupt the vicious cycle between fear of falling and falls in stroke survivors.…”