Fear of recurrent falls and associated factors among older adults from Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Fear of falling is characterized by anxiety when walking or excessive worry about falling. This study aimed to investigate the factors associated with fear of recurrent falls among older adults in Florianópolis, Santa Catarina State, Brazil. A total of 266 older adults who had fallen in the previous year were studied based on a population-based cross-sectional survey. Statistical analysis used Poisson regression to assess the association between fear of recurrent falls and the covariates (socioeconomic variables, physical activity, diseases, cognitive impairment, socializing with friends, characteristics of falls, and self-rated health), respecting the hierarchy between the variables. Among the sample, 57.1% feared recurrent falls. The adjusted analysis yielded a significant association between the outcome and female gender (p = 0.013), less socializing with friends (p = 0.015), diseases of the spinal column (p = 0.022), and limitation of daily activities after the fall (p = 0.001). Thus, campaigns to prevent fear of new falls should particularly target women with limitations due to previous falls and low social interaction.