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Fear of falling and falls self‐efficacy and their relationship to higher‐level competence among community‐dwelling senior men and women in Japan
Author(s) -
Katsumata Yuriko,
Arai Asuna,
Tomimori Masashi,
Ishida Kozo,
Lee Romeo B,
Tamashiro Hiko
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/j.1447-0594.2010.00679.x
Subject(s) - fear of falling , competence (human resources) , medicine , confounding , self efficacy , gerontology , falling (accident) , poison control , injury prevention , demography , psychology , psychiatry , environmental health , social psychology , pathology , sociology
Aim: This cross‐sectional study examined the relationships of fear of falling and falls self‐efficacy with higher‐level competence among community‐dwelling senior citizens in Japan. Methods: Of the 822 registered senior citizens, 731 (89%) community dwellers were requested to participate in the survey using a mailed self‐accomplished questionnaire. Data from 648 respondents with duly accomplished questionnaires were analyzed using R 2 , the coefficient of determination, based on a multivariate regression analysis. Results: Fear of falling, low falls self‐efficacy and higher‐level functional disability were observed among respondents. Of the hypothesized relationships examined by sex, fear of falling was significantly associated with disability among male respondents and low falls self‐efficacy among both sexes. Several confounding variables were strongly associated with competence. Conclusion: While the data underscore the strategic importance of promoting higher‐level competence among the senior citizens, there is much to suggest that their competence is likely to be maintained if their fear of falling and falls self‐efficacy were modified. Programs must also consider a wide array of intervening factors. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2011; 11: 282–289.