- My Library
- 2026 Issues
- Issue 104
- Balance confidence predicts incident injurious falls…
Balance confidence predicts incident injurious falls in older adults: a longitudinal study
Key Points
- Lower balance confidence, measured with the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), predicted incident injurious falls among older adults.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
Concerns of falling among older adults has a significant impact on an individual’s quality of life, social isolation, physical activity, and likelihood of falling (1). Globally, approximately 50% of older adults are concerned of falling (1). This prevalence increases when an individual has limited physical function, presence of chronic diseases, and mental health diagnosis (i.e. anxiety and depression) (1).
Due to its prevalence and impact, it is important to screen older adults’ potential concern of falling. Concerns of falling is often indirectly evaluated via measures of balance confidence. A balance confidence self-report tool is the Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES), a 14-item self-report tool that asks respondents to rate their level of confidence on a scale 0-10, with “0” being “not at all confident” and 10 being “completely confident” in relations to 14 activities listed in Table 1 (2). However, there is limited knowledge regarding the ability to utilize the MFES as a predictor of injurious falls and as a mediator linking prior and subsequent falls.
The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between the scores on the MFES and injurious falls and if it mediates the relationship between previous and subsequent falls.
When concern of falling is identified, it is important to utilize treatment that addresses both physical and psychological contributors.
METHODS
Study Design and Participants: Secondary analysis of 952 older adults (≥ 65 years) who participated in Geelong Osteoporosis Study.