Fear of falling, quality of life, and daily functional activity of elderly women with and without a history of falling: a cross-sectional study

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the fear of falling, quality of life, and daily functional activity of older women aged 60 years or older with or without a history of falling. Materials and methods: Two hundred older adult women were recruited for the cross-sectional study in Iran. This cross-sectional study collected data from July to August 2023 through convenience sampling. The researchers collected data using a five-part questionnaire, that collected information that included demographic characteristics, the Fall Efficacy Scale in the Elderly-International Version (FES-I), 12-item Quality of Life assessment (SF-12), Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) and Activities of Daily Living (ADL). Results: FES-I score in older women with a history of falls was significantly higher than those without a history of falls [median: 38.0, interquartile range (IQR): 31.5-44.0 versus median: 22.0, IQR: 20.0-30.0; P<0.001]. The median quality-of-life score using the SF-12 was significantly lower in women with a history of falls than in those without a history of falls (median: 25.0, IQR: 21.0-30.0 versus median: 35.0, IQR: 31.0-39.0; P<0.001). The ADL scores were significantly lower among women with a history of falls than those without (P<0.001). A similar result was obtained for IADL scores (P<0.001). Conclusion: Overall, this study's findings highlight the adverse impact of a history of falls on three key factors: fear of falling, quality of life, and daily functional activity (including both basic and instrumental activities). The findings delineate that, ultimately, the history of falls can serve as a valuable indicator for better understanding trends in elderly care and addressing the associated challenges.