• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
• /
• v.48 no.3
• /
• pp.43-53
• /
• 2010

This study aimed to compare fear and prevention behaviors on accidents between mothers and teachers in family childcare centers. The participants were 117 mothers whose children were 0~2 year-olds and 121 teachers. Based on Hendrickson(2008) and Reichert & Henricks(1996), the scale was developed by the researcher, and it was composed of fear and prevention behaviors on accident. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and $x^2$ analysis. Results showed that mothers feared fall accidents and step-on-accidents while teachers feared suffocation accidents and liability for injury medical fee. Also, mothers did more prevention behaviors on use of car seats than teachers, whereas teachers did more behaviors on walk safety, custody of drugs and dangerous articles, and food safety.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.1577-1589
• /
• 2009

The purpose of this study was to compare the health status, functional status, and home environment hazards by the fear of falling and explore the factors that contribute to the fear of falling. This was a descriptive study. Data were collected for two years with 973 older adults who enrolled in a health center at A city. Trained nurses visited subjects' home and collected data using Resident Assessment Instrument MDS-HC. The average age of the subjects was 76.8 (±7.6) and female was 74.8%. 20.7% of subjects reported fear of falling. In terms of the fear of falling, two groups were compared. There were significant differences in vision, urinary incontinence, pain that interrupts daily activity, unstable gait, comorbidities, frequency of depressive or anxious sign. The greater the age, IADL and ADL dependency, comorbidities, unstabled gait, the more fear of falling. In conclusion, this study reassured the importance of assessing the major factors related to fear of falling such as age, IADL and ADL, comorbities, gait among older adults. This study will contribute to establish strategies for preventing fall. Reducing the fear of falling through the comprehensive nursing intervention will ultimately improve the quality of life in the elderly.

• Journal of Korean Academic Society of Home Health Care Nursing
• /
• v.25 no.1
• /
• pp.96-104
• /
• 2018

Purpose: This study compared factors related to fear of falling among women in the early phase of old age based on hand grip strength. Methods: Researchers obtained data of 1,071 women who had participated in the 4th Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analysis. Results: In both groups, fear of falling was positively correlated with falling experience within two years, osteoarthritis-related leg pain, depression, and instrumental daily life abilities; however, self-rated health was negatively correlated. In the low hand grip strength group, self-rated health, osteoarthritis-related leg pain, and hand grip strength accounted for 21.3% of the variance regarding fear of falling. In the normal hand grip strength group, age, self-rated health, fall experience within two years, osteoarthritis-related leg pain, and depression significantly accounted for 16.6% of the variance regarding fear of falling. Conclusion: In applying interventions to prevent falling in women in the early phase of old age, health care workers must verify if women have low hand grip strength and determine whether to focus on fitness improvement through exercise interventions or consider psychological interventions for depression.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.441-451
• /
• 2015

Objective : The purpose of the study was to investigate and compare the differences between Parkinson's disease rating, balance, fall and gait scales. Results : Parkinson's disease rating scales include the Hoehn-Yahr Scale and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The Hoehn-Yahr Scale can measure disease rates easily; however it is not sensitive enough to evaluate the disease's process and management. UPDRS's advantage is in it's higher inter-reliability score; however it is more complicated to use. Parkinson's balance scales are comprised of the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and the Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (ABC). BBS has the advantage in that it is cheaper to measure and simple in use. ABC's advantage is especially in it's ability to measure higher functional levels; however it is more difficult measure responses due to scores appearing in both extremes. The Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) and The Survey of Activities and Fear of Falling in the Elderly (SAFE) are Parkinson's fall scales. FES's leverage over SAFE is that it is simpler to measure; however it does not coincide with responses which proves disadvantageous in measuring balance loss in high-level Parkinson's patients. SAFE's advantage is in it's simpler use and ability to be utilized without encountering the fear of fall; however it's at a disadvantage in regards to its use with multilateral aspects providing insufficient inspection. Lastly, the Dynamic Gait Index (DGI) and the Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) are Parkinson's gait scales. DGI is advantageous in its ability to test gait ability when exposed to a variety of external environments; however it is disadvantageous in that it registers higher scores with activities. FGA's advantage is in it's dynamic balance test; however it at a disadvantage with those unable to walk. Conclusion : A researcher of Parkinson's patients must choose each scale while considering their positive and negative characteristics.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.73-82
• /
• 2017

PURPOSE: Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) has been shown to improve body function and activity/participation in people with functional dysfunctions. This study evaluates if active exercise using theraband in PNF pattern may induce similar benefits as exercise using manual PNF pattern performed by physiotherapists on promoting mobility, balance and fear of fall in community-dwelling elderly. METHODS: Twenty-three community-dwelling elderly with independent activities of daily living were recruited and randomly allocated into either PNF group - exercise in PNF pattern by trained physiotherapists or Theraband-PNF (T-PNF) group - exercise using theraband in PNF pattern, for an hour, twice weekly for 4 weeks. Functional outcomes such as Timed Up and Go test, Elderly Mobility Scale, Berg balance scale, functional reach and subjective measures including fear of fall (FOF) scale, bodily pain in visual analogue scale were measured pre and post-program. RESULTS: Twenty-one participants completed the program. PNF group demonstrated significant within-group improvements in all subjective measures and objective measures. Similar within-group improvements were demonstrated in all outcome measures except FOFS in T-PNF group. However, no between-group differences were found in any of the outcome measures. CONCLUSION: Comparable improvements in functional outcomes in community dwelling elderly were demonstrated in both groups. As manual PNF exercise traditionally need clinicians' contact and feedback on patient which limit the training to be carried out extensively in community setting. The current findings suggest that exercise using theraband in PNF pattern is feasible to be adopted as self-practice exercise for community-dwelling elderly to induce beneficial effects on functional outcomes.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
• /
• v.20 no.1
• /
• pp.91-101
• /
• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between a experience of falling, fear of falling, depression, and perceived health status in urban areas. Methods: After obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval, a one-time, face-to-face, and private interview was conducted with each participant who was eligible and agreed to participate in this study from May 2007 to August 2007 by trained graduate-level nursing students. The questionnaires consisted of Fall Efficacy Scale, K-GDS, and SF-36. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS/PC 12.0 program, which was used for frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, t-test, and hierarchical regression. Results: The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) approximately 9% of participants had fallen within one year. Study participants reported moderate fear of falling(M=43.80); moderate physical health (M=42.31) and mental health(M=46.05); and low depression status(M=10.38). 2) there were significant differences in fear of falling according to gender, experience of falling, exercise, and depression. 3) significant factors influencing on fear of falling were experience of falling and physical health status. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that nurses working closely with older adults should be taught the impact of previous falls and physical health status on fear of falling and need to reinforce exercise behavior for older adults who are vulnerable to fear of falling.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
• /
• v.16 no.1
• /
• pp.5-12
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate bone mineral density(BMD) and fear of falling and falls efficacy in the middle and old aged women over 50 years. Methods: The subjects consisted of 409 women. One-way ANOVA, Pearson's correlations and multiple regression were used to test the BMD, fear of falling and falls efficacy scale by using SPSSWIN 12.0. The BMD of the calcaneus were measured with peripheral dual energy x-ray absorptiometry(DEXA). Results: The average age was 63 years old and the average T-score was -3.21 in patient with osteoporosis, -1.72 with osteopenia, and .13 with normal. There were significant differences in the status of the BMD according to age(p=.000), height(p=.000), weight(p=.000), married status(p=.000), age of menarche(p=.002), and menopause(p=.002). The fear of falling was related with falls efficacy(r=-.247, p=.01), BMD(r=-.337, p=.01). Falls efficacy($\beta$=-.21, p=.000)and BMD($\beta$=-.26, p=.000) were predicting variables of fear of falling. The model explained 13% of the variance in fear of falling(F=27.38, p=.000). Conclusion: Fear of falling and falls efficacy were related with the bone mineral density. Falls efficacy and BMD may be useful for the predicting fear of falling for women in middle and old age. Further studies with assessment of fall-related risk-factors and a longitudinal study are necessary to assess with falls efficacy, and BMD with age.

• Women's Health Nursing
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.344-352
• /
• 2009

Purpose: The study was to identify influencing factors on fear of falling in postmenopausal women. Methods: With a correlational survey design, 125 postmenopausal women were recruited at the D metropolitan city by a convenience sampling. Fracture risk status was assessed by bone mineral densities (BMD) at lumbar and femur with DEXA method. A structured study questionnaire was used to measure demographic variables, osteoporosis self-efficacy, and fear of falling. Results: Mean age of the subjects was 59 years old and duration since menopause was 9.55 years. Twenty six percent of the subjects belonged to osteoporotic group in fracture risk status. Mean score for fear of falling was 16.10 (SD=5.18) indicating low level, and osteoporosis self-efficacy for exercise and diet was 44.76 (SD=7.41), indicating mid-range level. Factors influencing the fear of falling was longer time since menopause ($\beta=.30$), lower score of osteoporosis self-efficacy for exercise ($\beta=-.26$), poor health perception status ($\beta=-.16$), and presence of chronic disease ($\beta=.16$), and the explained variance was 20%. Conclusion: Although the level of fear of falling was yet low in postmenopausal women, women who had lower self-efficacy of osteoporosis for exercise and poorer health perception felt greater fear of falling. Therefore, an educational program specific to improve osteoporosis self-efficacy and reduce the fear of falling is needed for improving postmenopausal women's psychosocial well-being.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.539-551
• /
• 2011

Purpose: This study was to investigate the factors influencing the fear of falling in frail elderly according to gender. Methods: The participants were the elderly over 65 years who were registered for case management for frail elderly of 253 public health centers. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 18.0. Results: Prevalence of fear of falling and the influential factors were different according to gender. 75.3% of the male elderly, 85.4% of the female elderly had the fear of falling. The predictors for men's fear of falling were static balance ability, experiences of previous falls, whereas for women static balance ability, TImed up and go, depression, experiences of previous falls, educational status were significant. Conclusion: Fear of falling and the influential factors of the frail elderly according to gender should be assessed regularly to find the high risk group. On the basis of that, prevention program for fear of falling and fall need to be developed and provided, which should be gender sensitive.

• 한국노년학
• /
• v.31 no.4
• /
• pp.1155-1167
• /
• 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the frequency of falls, fear of falling, perceived health status, and number of disease according to cognitive function in community-dwelling the elderly women. This study utilized a descriptive survey design. Data were collected for six months with 311 elderly women who visited in public health center at S city. After obtaining Institutional Review Board(IRB) approval, a face-to-face, and private interview was conducted with each participant who was eligible and agreed to participate in this study by trained graduate-level nursing students. The questionnaires consisted of MoCA-K, K-MMSE, Fall Efficacy Scale, PHS scale. The collected data were analyzed with SPSS/WIN 17.0 program, which was used descriptive statistics, Chi-Square test and t-test, Correlation. The major findings of this study were as follows; 1) The average age of the subjects was 71.68±5.13 and cognitive function score was 22.14±4.32. approximately 35% of participants had fallen within one year. 2) there were significant differences in perceived health status according to cognitive function. 3) fear of fall and cognitive function, perceived health status and cognitive function were significant correlation. In conclusion, this study will contribute to establish strategies for preventing fall. Interventions for fall prevention and fear of fall enhancement should be developed with the consideration of the level of cognitive function in the elderly. Reducing the fear of falling through the comprehensive nursing intervention will ultimately improve the quality of life in the elderly.