Influence of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling on social participation in people aging with long-term physical disability: a cross-sectional study

Jessica Dashner; Sandra M Espín-Tello; Szu-Wei Chen; Holly Hollingsworth; Rebecca Bollinger; Kerri A Morgan; Susan Stark

doi:10.1080/09638288.2023.2293990

Influence of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling on social participation in people aging with long-term physical disability: a cross-sectional study

Disabil Rehabil. 2023 Dec 18:1-9. doi: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2293990. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Jessica Dashner¹, Sandra M Espín-Tello², Szu-Wei Chen¹, Holly Hollingsworth¹, Rebecca Bollinger¹, Kerri A Morgan¹, Susan Stark¹

Affiliations

¹ Program in Occupational Therapy, WA University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, USA.
² Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.

PMID: 38108275
DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2023.2293990

Abstract

Purpose: This study examined prevalence and relationships among falls, injuries, fear of falling, and social participation in people aging with long-term physical disability (PAwLTPD).

Materials and methods: A convenience sample of 474 PAwLTPD recruited from community agencies and social media as baseline of a longitudinal cohort study. Inclusion criteria: 45-65 years, self-reported physical disability for ≥5 years, and English-speaking. Self-report surveys of physical/mental health, falls in the past year, fear of falling, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) ability and satisfaction with participation in social roles and activities measures were collected.

Results: Mean age 56.8 years; participants were mostly female (66.7%) and White (61.4%). Nearly 65% reported a fall; 56.6% of falls resulted in injury. Falls and fall-related injuries were associated with worse physical/mental health and presence of >5 health conditions. Seventy-five percent of participants reported fear of falling. Lower ability and satisfaction with participation were found in participants who fell and worried about falls.

Conclusions: PAwLTPD are at increased risk of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling, which affects their ability to engage in social activities. Future research is needed to understand circumstances associated with falls and to develop effective interventions to address falls in PAwLTPD.

Keywords: Fall rates; fear of falling; influence of falls; people aging with long-term physical disability; social participation.

Plain language summary

Community-dwelling individuals aged 45–65 years who are aging with long-term physical disabilities report increased rates of falls, fall-related injuries, and fear of falling.People aging with long-term physical disabilities who experience falls report decreases in their social participation.Additional work within the rehabilitation field is needed to develop effective, evidence-based interventions to reduce the occurrence of falls among individuals aging with long-term physical disability.