Fear-of-falling activity-avoidance behavior in people with Parkinson's disease: a scoping review protocol

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this review is to explore existing literature related to fear of falling activity avoidance behavior and identify what is known about this phenomenon in people with Parkinson's disease.

Introduction: Falling and fear of falling are significant concerns for persons with Parkinson's disease. Fear of falling is a significant problem over and above falling itself and can lead to activity avoidance. Activity-avoidance behavior is a risk factor for increased falls and can lead to further functional decline. A better understanding of the fear of falling and the associated avoidance behavior can inform screening, evaluation, and interventions to decrease fall risk and improve activity engagement and quality of life for persons with Parkinson's disease.

Inclusion criteria: This review will consider studies published in English that include individuals diagnosed with Parkinson's disease experiencing fear of falling that impacts activity engagement with no limit on participant age or time of publication.

Methods: JBI methodology will be used to conduct this scoping review. A three-step search strategy will be utilized. The databases to be searched include MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase (Elsevier), Scopus (Elsevier), APA PsycINFO (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Papers First (OCLC), and ProQuest Dissertations and Theses (ProQuest). Two independent reviewers will screen the titles, abstracts, and full text of the selected studies. Data collection will be performed with a tool developed by the researchers based on the standardized tool from JBI SUMARI. Data will be presented in a comprehensive narrative summary.