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A.C.L. Bandeira1, J.M. Porto1, D.C.C.d. Abreu1
1University of São Paulo, Department of Health Sciences, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
Background: Currently, it has been demonstrated the importance of asking the older adults about the way they perceive their health, as they may be under or overestimated [1] and, consequently, it may predispose them to the risk of negative health outcomes. Sociocultural, demographic and health aspects, such as sex, age, years of study, physical activity, history of falls, can interfere with people's self-perception of their health [2]. In Brazil, a study revealed that in 2013 there were 93,312 hospitalized people over 60 years of age due to falls, which caused the death of about 8,775 older adults [3]. Considering that schooling is another factor that can interfere in the way that the older adults understand their health status, report their fear of falling (FOF) and their functional capacity, in Brazil 6.6% of the population (about 11 million) are illiterate, and of these, 18.6% are older people [4]. Incorrect negative self-perception can be a strong predictor for the reduction of functional ability in the older population [5], being that self-perception corresponds to the conscious image that the individual has about himself, in physical and emotional aspects [6]. When applied to the perception of balance, it refers to the ability to perceive the quality of your postural stability.
Purpose: To investigate possible variables that influence the self-report of balance and fear of falls in community-dwelling older adults.
Methods: 151 older people from the community were recruited, of both sexes living in the city of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil. The participants who agreed to participate in the research were submitted to the sample characterization questionnaire that included data such as sex, age, years of schooling, level of physical activity, history of falls, presence of fear of falls (yes or no), and classification of balance self-perception (positive or negative). To verify the possible factors that influence the response regarding the fear of falls and the self-perception of balance, binary logistic regression was performed, with models adjusted for age, sex, level of physical activity, years of study, and number of falls in the 12 previous months.
Results: When analyzing the variables, the only covariable that influenced fear of falls was sex (p = 0.004), that is, women are more likely to be afraid of falls. There was also no association between balance self-perceived and the other covariables, except for the number of previous falls (p = 0.018), that is, the greater the number of previous falls, the greater the chance of presenting negative self-perception of balance.
Conclusion(s): In this study, it was observed that factors such as the history of previous fall and participants’ sex showed to have a greater influence on the self-report of the older adults.
Implications: Although there are non-modifiable factors, such as sex, that influence the fear of falls, there are also modifiable factors that influence the self-report, such as the history of previous falls. So, strategies based on physical exercise tailored for balance and functionality may be an effective way to improve the self-perception of balance.
Funding, acknowledgements: This research was supported by Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel registered under number 88887.509001/2020-00
Keywords: Schooling, History of falls
Topic: Older people
Did this work require ethics approval? Yes
Institution: University of São Paulo
Committee: Research Ethics Committee involving Human Beings
Ethics number: 62209916.5.0000.5440
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
