E. Mcauley et al., SELF-EFFICACY AND BALANCE CORRELATES OF FEAR OF FALLING IN THE ELDERLY, Journal of aging and physical activity, 5(4), 1997, pp. 329-340
This study examined relationships among physical activity patterns, se
lf-efficacy, balance, and fear of falling in older adults. Fifty-eight
older adults (52-85 years) completed measures of physical activity, s
elf-efficacy, and fear of falling. Subjects then performed the items f
ound in the Berg Balance Scale (Berg, Wood-Dauphinee, Williams, & Maki
, 1992). More physically active adults were less fearful of falling, h
ad better balance, and had stronger perceptions of efficacy. Those wit
h better balance were less fearful of falling, and females were more f
earful than males. Balance and self-efficacy had significant independe
nt effects on fear, whereas the contribution of history of physical ac
tivity was nonsignificant. The findings suggest that behavioral, socia
l cognitive, and biological factors may be important correlates of fea
r of falling. Further support is provided for the utility of self-effi
cacy measures in the prediction of fear of falling, although reliance
on any one measure to assess this construct may underestimate the role
of self-efficacy.