Falls Self-Efficacy and Occupational Adaptation Among Elders

Abstract

Objective: To use the Model of Human Occupation as a conceptual framework to assess the contribution falls self-efficacy makes to six measures of occupational adaptation.

Methods: Two-hundred and seventy randomly selected senior housing residents, aged ▪62, were interviewed in their homes to collect information on demographics, fall history, fall risk factors, fear of falling, and measures of adaptation. The response rate was 63%. Linear regressions were conducted to achieve the study objective.

Results: Fifty-five percent of respondents expressed fear of falling during the next year. Falls self-efficacy related to falling independently contributed to 5 out of 6 measures of occupational adaptation.

Conclusions: Results suggest that falls self-efficacy significantly influences occupational adaptation among community-dwelling older adults, independent of the actual risk and history of falls. Although further verification of these results is needed, results of this study suggest use of interventions designed to increase falls self-efficacy for fallers and non-fallers.

Key Words:

• Fear of falling
• gerontology
• human occupation
• occupational therapy
• falls

Additional information

Notes on contributors

E. Peterson

Jennifer R. Johnson was a graduate student in the School of Occupational Therapy, Texas Woman's University, Houston, TX at the time of this study. She is currently employed as an Occupational Therapist at Touro Infirmary in New Orleans, LA

Debra Stewart is Lecturer, School of Rehabilitation Science, McMaster University and staff therapist at Erinoak Centre, Missis-sauga, Ontario. She is currently completing a MSc (Design, Measurement and Evaluation) at McMaster University.