Increased physical activity in older adults is associated with decreased fear of falling

Commentary on: Lee J, Choi M, Kim CO. Falls, a fear of falling and related factors in older adults with complex chronic disease. J Clin Nurs 2017;26:4964–72.

Implications for practice and research

Physical activity for older adults improves confidence in performing everyday activities without falling.

Polypharmacy should be considered in older adults with fear of falling.

Fear of falling is related to adverse health outcomes and should be investigated.

Context

Falls are a significant health problem in the elderly population around the world, and the increase in life expectancy, costs and injury consequences could be disastrous. In Korea, more than half of physical injuries in older adults are a result of falls. Risk factors for falls include age, sex, number of comorbidities, polypharmacy and type of drugs in use, history of recurrent falls, fear of falling and physical function. Some of these factors are modifiable; identifying those factors could guide nurses in assisting older...

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