Reliability and validity of the Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International for Japanese older people

The Short Falls Efficacy Scale-International (Short FES-I) has been confirmed to be a good measure with reliability and validity in a UK sample; however, the reliability and validity of the Short FES-I for Japanese older people have not yet been established.

The aim of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the Short FES-I for Japanese older people.

The study participants were 519 older people aged 65 years and over who were living independently in their community. The Short FES-I is composed of seven items rated on a four-point Likert scale. Lower scores indicate better fall-related efficacy. To investigate the validity of the Short FES-I, previous falls, physical function such as grip strength and scores on the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, psychological factors such as self-rated health (SRH), cognitive function, and other confounding factors were collected. The association between the previous falls and the Short FES-I was analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Furthermore, factors related to the Short FES-I were investigated using multiple regression analysis.

Cronbach's alpha for the Short FES-I was 0.87. Short FES-I scores were significantly higher in participants with a history of falls than in those without. In addition, Short FES-I scores were significantly and independently associated with falls in logistic regression analysis, and significantly associated with grip strength, TUG time, and SRH in multiple regression analysis.

These results suggest that the Short FES-I is a reliable and valid fall-related measurement scale for Japanese older people.