Falls Self-Efficacy and Occupational Adaptation Among Elders

Abstract

Objective: To use the Model of Human Occupation as a conceptual framework to assess the contribution falls self-efficacy makes to six measures of occupational adaptation.Methods: Two-hundred and seventy randomly selected senior housing residents, aged ▪62, were interviewed in their homes to collect information on demographics, fall history, fall risk factors, fear of falling, and measures of adaptation. The response rate was 63%. Linear regressions were conducted to achieve the study objective.Results: Fifty-five percent of respondents expressed fear of falling during the next year. Falls self-efficacy related to falling independently contributed to 5 out of 6 measures of occupational adaptation.Conclusions: Results suggest that falls self-efficacy significantly influences occupational adaptation among community-dwelling older adults, independent of the actual risk and history of falls. Although further verification of these results is needed, results of this study suggest use of interventions designed to...