Open AccessDepressive symptoms associated with concerns about falling in Parkinson's disease
Author(s) -
Franzén Erika,
Conradsson David,
Hagströmer Maria,
Nilsson Maria H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
brain and behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 41
ISSN - 2162-3279
DOI - 10.1002/brb3.524
Subject(s) - fear of falling , falling (accident) , balance (ability) , parkinson's disease , depression (economics) , psychology , medicine , explained variation , linear regression , depressive symptoms , gait , quality of life (healthcare) , disease , regression analysis , gerontology , physical medicine and rehabilitation , physical therapy , injury prevention , poison control , cognition , psychiatry , medical emergency , economics , macroeconomics , machine learning , computer science , psychotherapist
Background Concerns about falling, a construct related to fear of falling, is increased in people with Parkinson's disease ( PD ) and is recognized as a barrier for exercise, negatively affecting health‐related quality of life and participation. Aim To investigate modifiable factors associated with concerns about falling in elderly with mild‐to‐moderate PD . Methods Eighty‐nine elderly (39 females, mean age 73 years) with mild‐to‐moderate PD were recruited. Concerns about falling were assessed with the Falls Efficacy Scale‐international, that is, the dependent variable in multiple linear regression analysis. Independent variables included both motor (e.g., objective measures of physical activity and gait) and nonmotor aspects such as depressive symptoms. Results A model with three significant independent variables explained 33% of the variance in concerns about falling. According to the standardized regression coefficients (β), the strongest contributing factor was depressive symptoms (0.40), followed by balance performance (−0.25), and use of mobility devices (0.24). Conclusions The findings imply that factors associated with concerns about falling are a multifactorial phenomenon. For its management in elderly with mild‐to‐moderate PD , one should consider depressive symptoms, balance deficits, and mobility devices.