[Fear of falling: Validation of a measurement tool in Chilean elderly living in the community]

Abstract

INTRODUCCIóN: Fear of falling, with or without previous falls history, is a risk factor for decreased mobility, disability, as well as a decreased quality of life, and can trigger the self-restriction of activities with loss of independence and functionality. Validated tools for measuring the fear of falling in the Chilean population is a needed to detect those at risk. There are currently no validated instruments to measure this phenomenon in Chile. The aim of this study is to validate the Spanish version of the short «Falls Efficacy Scale-International» (FES-I) in an elderly population living in the community in Chile.

Material and method: A cross-sectional study was performed using applications at baseline and 4 weeks. The short FES-I was translated using the back-translation method, evaluated by a panel of experts, and piloted in 10 older adults. After the pilot study, the final version was applied to a sample of 113 elderly persons. Data analysis used measures of central tendency, and reliability and confirmatory factor analysis was used.

Results: The Spanish version of the short FES-I showed good reliability and validity in an elderly Chilean population.

Conclusions: This falls risks measurement tool can be used by clinicians and researchers in order to determine the magnitude of the problem and the impact of fear of falling on falls, functionality, and quality of life of the elderly who live in the community.

Keywords: Accidental falls; Accidentes por caídas; Aged; Anciano; Estudios de validación; Validation studies.