Citation

Rixt Zijlstra GA, van Haastregt JC, Ambergen T, van Rossum E, van Eijk JTM, Tennstedt SL, Kempen GIJM. J. Am. Geriatr. Soc. 2009; 57(11): 2020-2028.

Affiliation

Department of Health Care and Nursing Science, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, CAPHRI-School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1532-5415.2009.02489.x

PMID

19793161

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of a multicomponent cognitive behavioral intervention on fear of falling and activity avoidance in older adults. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Community-dwelling adults in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred forty adults aged 70 and older who reported fear of falling and fear-induced activity avoidance (280 intervention, 260 control). INTERVENTION: A multicomponent cognitive behavioral group intervention consisting of eight weekly sessions and a booster session. The sessions were aimed at instilling adaptive and realistic views on falls, reducing fall risk, and increasing activity and safe behavior. MEASUREMENTS: Data on fear of falling, activity avoidance, concerns about falling, perceived control over falling, and daily activity were collected at baseline and at 2, 8, and 14 months. RESULTS: At 2 months, there were significant between-group differences in fear of falling (odds ratio (OR)=0.11; P<.001), activity avoidance (OR=0.26; P<.001), concerns about falling (adjusted mean difference=-1.51; P=.02), and daily activity (adjusted mean difference=0.95; P=.01). At 8 months, there were significant between-group differences in all outcomes and at 14 months in fear of falling (P=.001), perceived control over falling (P=.001), and recurrent fallers (P=.02) but not in activity avoidance (P=.07), concerns about falling (P=.07), daily activity (P=.24), or fallers (P=.08). CONCLUSION: This multicomponent cognitive behavioral intervention showed positive and durable effects on fear of falling and associated activity avoidance in community-dwelling older adults. Future research should focus on improving intervention uptake and adherence, reaching frailer populations, and determining potential intervention effects on functional outcomes.

Language: en