[Factors affecting falls self-efficacy of home-bound elderly people]

Falling is one of the most common health hazards for the elderly. Tinetti et al. (1990) proposed the concept of falls self-efficacy, which explored fear of falling from the perspective of self-efficacy. Falls self-efficacy and its associated factors have not been extensively studied in Japan. This study examined the impact of various factors associated with daily life on falls self-efficacy.

We conducted individual interviews with 180 elderly participants (men=93; women=87) on topics such as falls self-efficacy, perceived health status, and time spent on physical activities.

Multiple linear regression analysis revealed that the main factors influencing falls self-efficacy were perceived health status, past experience of falling, age, chronic pain, average time spent sitting during a weekday, and moderate or vigorous physical activity time per week. Falls self-efficacy was not significantly associated with gender, human environment, recent falling of acquaintances, or walking time per week.

The results indicated that moderate or vigorous physical activity could enhance falls self-efficacy. Moreover, past falling experiences were negatively associated with falls self-efficacy, whereas perceived health status and chronic pain had a significant impact. Future fall prevention programs should adopt a multifactorial approach that focuses on enhancing falls self-efficacy.