Educational intervention for reducing the fear of falling and improving balance in the elderly: a single blind randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT

Falling is a major health threat for the elderly and has a significant impact on their well-being and quality of life. Yet, falls are preventable among the elderly. We sought to determine the effectiveness of an educational intervention in reducing the fear of falling and improving balance among the elderly visiting Jahandidegan center in Shiraz, Iran. A preliminary study was conducted to determine the validity and reliability of the Modified Fall Efficacy Scale [MFES] for the Iranian elderly. Then, 40 individuals, 17 males and 23 females, between 60 and 74 years old were selected for the survey. The inclusion criteria were "MFES" score of less than 8 and Berg Balance Scale [BBS] score of less than 45. After completing the demographic questionnaire, MFES, and BBS, the participants were randomly allocated to the training or control groups. In the training group, each participant took part in one fall prevention class per week for 8 consecutive weeks. On the other hand, the control group received no interventions. BBS and MFES were completed immediately after the intervention. Finally, the data were analyzed using independent sample t-test and Chi-square test. Besides, P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. A statistically significant difference was found between the two groups regarding BBS and MFES mean scores [pre-post 8 weeks] [P<0.001]. The intervention reduced the fear of falling by 26.5% and improved balance by 4.3%. The study results indicated that attending the training classes was effective in decreasing the fear of falling and improving the balance.