Validation of the short falls efficacy scale-international for Taiwanese community-dwelling older adults: Associations with fall history, physical frailty, and quality of life

Abstract

The FES-I is widely used to measure the fear of falling. However, studies linking the Chinese version of the FES-I to frailty and quality of life among older adults are still limited. Thus, this study examined the association of the full 16-item FES-I and the 7-item short FES-I with fall history, physical frailty, and quality of life among older Taiwanese adults. A total of 751 community-dwelling older adults in Taipei City participated in this study. Data analyses included logistic and linear regression models. The 16-item and the short FES-I were strongly correlated (Spearman rho = 0.963), and both scales are reliable. The 7-item FES-I was positively associated with fall history and physical frailty and negatively associated with the physical (b = −0.65, p < 0.001) and mental (b = −0.59, p < 0.001) components of health-related quality of life, independent of physical frailty. Thus, the short FES-I can be used to increase the feasibility of health screenings of older adults in Chinese-speaking contexts.