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Fear of Falling among Elderly Patients with Dizziness and Syncope in a Tilt Setting

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 June 2009

Javier Perez-Jara ,
Alfredo Enguix ,
Jose Miguel Fernandez-Quintas ,
Beatriz Gómez-Salvador ,
Rosa Baz ,
Paloma Olmos ,
Alberto Rodríguez ,
Arturo Vilches  and
Carlos Reyes-Ortiz
Javier Perez-Jara*
Affiliation:
Unidad de Valoracion Geriatrica, Hospital del Bierzo, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Alfredo Enguix
Affiliation:
Servicio de Analisis Clinicos, Hospital Carmen y Severo Ochoa, Cangas de Narcea, Asturias, Spain
Jose Miguel Fernandez-Quintas
Affiliation:
Servicio de Atención Primaria, Centro de Salud Ponferrada II, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Beatriz Gómez-Salvador
Affiliation:
Servicio de Atención Primaria, Centro de Salud Ponferrada II, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Rosa Baz
Affiliation:
Servicio de Atención Primaria, Centro de Salud Ponferrada II, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Paloma Olmos
Affiliation:
Servicio de Atención Primaria, Centro de Salud Ponferrada II, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Alberto Rodríguez
Affiliation:
Servicio de Atención Primaria, Centro de Salud Ponferrada II, Ponferrada, Leon, Spain
Arturo Vilches
Affiliation:
Sección de Geriatria, Hospital Meixoeiro, Complejo Universitario de Vigo, Spain
Carlos Reyes-Ortiz
Affiliation:
Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Public Health, University of North Texas Health Science Center, Fort Worth, Texas, USA.
*
*Correspondence to: / Correspondance à : Javier Perez-Jara Unidad de Valoración Geriátrica Hospital El Bierzo C/ Medicos sin Fronteras s/n Ponferrada, Leon, 24411, Spain Telephone: 0034987455200 ext 266 Fax: 0034987455300 E-mail: jperezjara@wanadoo.es
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Abstract

The objectives of this study were to assess the prevalence of fear of falling (FOF) among patients over age 60 with dizziness, falls, or syncope; and to analyze risk factors associated with FOF, including data from the tilt table test. This study included 200 older patients referred to a geriatric outpatient clinic specializing in dizziness, falls, and syncope. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients who experienced FOF (yes vs. no) and whether FOF restricted leaving home alone or performing activities of daily living. FOF occurred in 50 per cent of patients in this population. Among these, 44 per cent gave up going out alone and 10 per cent stopped doing basic activities of daily living. Beyond age 75, FOF was associated with recurrent dizziness, depression, and symptoms on standing, but not prior falls.

Résumé

Les objectifs de cette étude étaient de mesurer la prévalence de la crainte de tomber chez les patients âgés de plus de 60 ans à cause d’étourdissements, de chutes et de syncopes et d’analyser les facteurs de risque que l’on associe à ce syndrome, y compris les données provenant du test d’inclinaison. Cette étude transversale a inclus 200 patients qui ont été dirigés vers une clinique gériatrique externe spécialisée dans les étourdissements, les chutes et les syncopes. Le premier résultat mesuré a été la proportion de patients qui ont expérimenté la crainte de tomber (oui ou non) et si cette crainte causait une restriction au moment de sortir seuls ou d’effectuer les activités de la vie quotidienne. La crainte de tomber est apparue chez 50 pour cent des patients de cette population. Parmi eux, 44 pour cent avaient cessé de sortir seuls et 10 pour cent avaient cessé d’effectuer les activités de base de la vie quotidienne. Chez les patients de 75 ans et plus, les étourdissements à répétition, la dépression et les symptômes ressentis lorsqu’ils se lèvent ont été des facteurs associés à la crainte de tomber. Le fait d’avoir subi des chutes au préalable n’a pas été un facteur associé.

Keywords

crainte de tomberpersonnes âgéesétourdissementschutestest d’inclinaisonfear of fallingolder peopledizzinessfallstilt test
Type
Articles
Information
Canadian Journal on Aging / La Revue canadienne du vieillissement , Volume 28 , Issue 2 , June 2009 , pp. 157 - 163
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Association on Gerontology 2009

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