• Johanne Filiatrault, Johanne Desrosiers, and Lise Trottier.
• School of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3J7. johanne.filiatrault@umontreal.ca
• J Aging Health. 2009 Sep 1; 21 (6): 881-94.

AbstractObjectives. The objective of this study was to identify individual and environmental correlates of fear of falling among community-dwelling seniors. Method. The study sample involved 288 community-dwelling adults aged 65 years or older going through the normal aging process. Fear of falling and a series of individual and environmental characteristics were measured with a questionnaire during home interviews. Results. Multivariate logistic regression procedures showed that the strongest correlates of fear of falling are gender, support from a spouse or partner, and residential area. Being a female as well as living in a smaller city or rural area were shown to be risk factors for fear of falling, whereas the availability of support from a spouse or partner was a protective factor. Discussion. Findings from this study suggest that researchers should adopt an ecological perspective to understanding the phenomenon of fear of falling among seniors and collect data on a broader range of individual and environmental factors.

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