Relationship between fear of falling and arm movements in the elderly women : A preliminary study

概要

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The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between fear of falling and the arm movements in the elderly women. The subjects consisted of 48 elderly women (mean age, 74.8 ± 7.1 years) and 10 young women (20.9 ± 0.3 years). Fear of falling and experiences of falls in the previous year were investigated, and forward, lateral, and downward arm movement times in the standing position were measured. The arm movement time was compared with the degrees of fear of falling, as well as with the presence and absence of experiences of falls. The results indicated that the average arm movement time was longer in the elderly women than in the young women, but the presence or absence of falling experience did not influence that time the average arm movement time was longer in the elderly women who were very fearful of falling than in the young women or the elderly women without such a fear, and the average downward arm movement time was longer in the elderly women who were moderately fearful of falling than in the young women. This study suggest that the arm movement time is prolonged in elderly women with a fear of falling, even in a presence of moderate fear of falling, and downward arm movement is particularly associated with such a fear.