Associations between Muscle Strength, Physical Performance and Cognitive Impairment with Fear of Falling among Older Adults Aged ≥ 60 Years: A Cross-Sectional Study

Antonio Orihuela-Espejo, Francisco Álvarez-Salvago (), Antonio Martínez-Amat, Carmen Boquete-Pumar, Manuel De Diego-Moreno, Manuel García-Sillero, Agustín Aibar-Almazán and José Daniel Jiménez-García
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Antonio Orihuela-Espejo: Faculty of Sport Sciences, EADE-University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, 29018 Málaga, Spain
Francisco Álvarez-Salvago: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Antonio Martínez-Amat: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
Carmen Boquete-Pumar: Faculty of Sport Sciences, EADE-University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, 29018 Málaga, Spain
Manuel De Diego-Moreno: Faculty of Sport Sciences, EADE-University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, 29018 Málaga, Spain
Manuel García-Sillero: Faculty of Sport Sciences, EADE-University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, 29018 Málaga, Spain
Agustín Aibar-Almazán: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain
José Daniel Jiménez-García: Department of Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 17, 1-10

Abstract: (1) Background: Fear of falling has become a significant health problem in older adults and is already considered as important as falling because of its long-term detrimental effects on older adults’ physical and psychosocial functioning. The aim of this study was to analyze the associations between both upper and lower limb strength, gait parameters and cognitive impairment with fear of falling in older adults. (2) Methods: A cross-sectional study involving 115 older-adult participants was used to assess the impact of both upper (Handgrip dynamometer, TKK 5401 Grip-D, Takey, Tokyo, Japan) and lower limb strength (Chair stand test), gait parameters (OptoGait-System Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy) and cognitive impairment (COWAT word association test) with fear of falling in older adults (Falls Efficacy Scale-International FES-I). (3) Results: Multivariate linear regression analysis showed several independent associations with the fear of falling. A higher time to perform the Chair Stand test was associated with higher scores in FES-I (R 2 = 0.231), while a lower score in both Semantic Fluency (S COWA) and Phonologic Fluency (P COWA) was associated with a decreased score in FES-I (R 2 = 0.052 and 0.035). (4) Conclusions: Both higher step and stride length (OptoGait), lower body strength (Chair test) and both poorer semantic (S COWA) and phonologic (P COWA) fluency were all associated with fear of falling.

Keywords: muscle strength; cognitive impairment; fear of falling; older adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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