Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the gait pattern of elderly women with and without fall-history, with high and low fear of falling, when exposed to a disturbing factor.Materials and Methods: Forty-nine elderly women without cognitive impairment agreed to participate. Participants were divided into four groups, considering the history of falls and fear of falling. Three-dimensional gait analysis was performed to assess gait kinematics before and after exposure to the fictional disturbing factor (psychological and non-motor agent).Results: After being exposed to the perturbation, all showed shorter step length, stride length and slower walking speed. Those without fall-history and with high fear of falling showed greater changes and lower Gait Profile Score.Conclusion: The gait changes shown in the presence of a fear-of-falling causing agent led to a cautious gait pattern in an attempt to increase protection. However, those changes increased fall-risk, boosted by fear of falling.Clinical Trial Registration: www.residentialclinics.gov.br, identifier: RBR-35xhj5.
Highlights
The study of falls and their predictors amongst the elderly has become increasingly important as the consequences of these events lead to traumatic repercussions both physically and psychologically, contributing to changes in mobility and leading to mortality [1, 2]
This study aimed to investigate the gait pattern of elderly women with and without fall-history, with high and low fear of falling, when exposed to a disturbing factor
The gait changes shown in the presence of a fear-of-falling causing agent led to a cautious gait pattern in an attempt to increase protection
Summary
The study of falls and their predictors amongst the elderly has become increasingly important as the consequences of these events lead to traumatic repercussions both physically and psychologically, contributing to changes in mobility and leading to mortality [1, 2]. When it does not reach fatal consequences, the fall may bring reduction in both mobility and social participation due to fear, a condition called “post-fall syndrome” [3]. The study of FOF is based on the concept of self-efficacy, establishing itself by the combination of abilities, motivation, and confidence [12]
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