Citation

Schepens S, Ananda S, Painter JA, Murphy SL. Am. J. Occup. Ther. 2012; 66(2): 137-148.

Affiliation

Stacey Schepens, PhD, OTR, is Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Institute of Gerontology, University of Michigan, 300 North Ingalls Street, 9th Floor, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2007; schepens@umich.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Occupational Therapy Association)

DOI

10.5014/ajot.2012.001156

PMID

22394523

PMCID

PMC3324848

Abstract

OBJECTIVE. Fear of falling can lead to restricted activity, but little is known about how this fear affects different aspects of people's lives. This study examined the relationship between fall-related efficacy (i.e., confidence or belief in one's ability to perform activities without losing balance or falling) and activity and participation. METHOD. We conducted a meta-analysis of studies comparing community-dwelling older adults' fall-related efficacy to measures of activity or participation. RESULTS. An examination of 20 cross-sectional and prospective studies found a strong positive relationship between fall-related efficacy and activity (r = .53; 95% CI [.47, .58]). An insufficient number of studies examining fall-related efficacy and participation were available for analysis. CONCLUSION. Low fall-related efficacy may be an important barrier to occupational engagement for many older adults and warrants careful consideration by occupational therapists. Future research should explore interventions that target fall-related efficacy and examine their effects on activity performance and engagement.

Language: en