Exploring Fear of Falling Related Activity Avoidance among Postmenopausal Women

Abstract

Fear of falling was associated with activity avoidance and subsequent reduction of functioning capacity in postmenopausal women. This study aimed to determine the influencing factors for fear-of-falling related activity avoidance in Korean postmenopausal women. The sample of 687 postmenopausal women living in six urban areas was recruited using stratified convenience sampling for the original survey. A secondary analysis was applied to survey data from 541 postmenopausal women aged 50–64 years who experienced some degree of fear of falling. A structured questionnaire was administered to measure fear of falling, fall efficacy, and activity avoidance. Among 541 postmenopausal women with a mean age of 56 years who perceived at least some fear of falling, 15% (n = 81) reported they avoided performing some, not all, activities of daily living due to fear of falling. Fear of falling was significantly associated with the level of activity avoidance (χ2 = 16.94, p < 0.001). In multivariate analyses, fear of falling and fall efficacy were significant predictors of activity avoidance in postmenopausal women after adjusting for age, education level, and chronic disease. Fear of falling and fall efficacy contributed independently to explain activity avoidance in postmenopausal women. It is important to identify fear of falling and activity avoidance as the focus of public health in order to prevent the vicious cycle of future falls.