Group Differences in Fall Risk Assessment among Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Abstract

Aims

This study aims to examine group differences in performance and self-report measures distinguishing non-, single, and recurrent fallers.

Methods

Fifty-seven community-dwelling older adults completed cognitive and functional assessments and reported number of falls over 12 months. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) examined differences between non-, single, and recurrent fallers.

Results

Significant group differences were found on fast and comfortable gait speed (p < .01 and p < .01, respectively), Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I) (p = .04), 30-Second Chair Stand (30-SCS) (p < .01), and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) (p < .01). An analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to control for MMSE after which the previous outcome measures no longer displayed significance.

Conclusions

Group differences exist between fallers; further, single fallers may experience a fall differently than other fallers. This sample consisted of healthy older adults yet cognition still played a role, demonstrating that the link between cognition and fall risk is yet to be fully understood.

Keywords:

• Fall risk
• cognition
• group differences
• non-fallers
• single fallers
• recurrent fallers

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.