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Do fall predictors in middle aged and older adults predict fall status in persons 50+ with fibromyalgia? An exploratory study
Author(s) -
Rutledge Da.,
Cherry Barbara J.,
Rose Debra J.,
Rakovski Carter,
Jones C. Jessie
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
research in nursing and health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.836
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1098-240X
pISSN - 0160-6891
DOI - 10.1002/nur.20376
Subject(s) - logistic regression , fibromyalgia , medicine , poison control , gerontology , injury prevention , balance (ability) , human factors and ergonomics , middle age , occupational safety and health , demography , psychology , physical therapy , environmental health , sociology , pathology
We explored potential predictors of fall status in 70 community‐dwelling persons ≥50 years of age with fibromyalgia (FM). Over 40% of the sample reported one or more falls in the year prior to the study. A logistic regression model using 10 variables known to predict falls in middle aged and older persons predicted 45% of the variance in fall status. Three variables offered significant independent contributions to the overall model predicting fall status: perception of postural instability, balance performance, and executive function processing speed. The results support prior work in both nonclinical and clinical populations of middle aged and older adults indicating that falls are associated with multiple risk factors. Prospective designs with larger samples are needed to (a) validate and extend these findings, and (b) identify risk factors related to fall status that are unique to persons with FM. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 33:192–206, 2010