ONE LINK. ALL CONFERENCE BENEFITS.
ONE LINK. ALL CONFERENCE BENEFITS.
NORDSCI Conference proceedings 2022, Book 1
Sociology and Healthcare
WHAT IS THE CORRECT POINT OF VIEW: FEAR OF FALLING AS A PREDICTOR OF DEPRESSION OR DEPRESSION AS A PREDICTOR OF FEAR OF FALLING?
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Iveta Matišáková, PhD, Dr. Vladimír Meluš, PhD. MPH, Dr. Nikoleta Poliaková, PhD, MSN. Michaela Bobkowska, PhD
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to determine if there is a connection between depression and fear of falling. Many elderly people have problems with physical activity, which often causes them falls and injuries. In addition to the physical consequences, a serious problem often appears, namely the fear of falling. Fear reduces physical activity, fitness and often causes older people depression. Subsequently, the fear of falling and depression can result in a further reduction in the activity of elderly people, which paradoxically causes a greater risk of falling than with activity, and the elderly person enters a circle of inactivity. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2022 among 134 seniors living in the community and social facilities in two-time intervals, 14 days apart. The Fall Efficacy Scale (FES) - Slovak version and the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). The non-parametric Spearman correlation coefficient and the Wilcoxon paired test for data analysis were used. Results shows that the differences in FES distribution in the first and second case were not statistically significant (p=0.238). The results show that the fear of falling is a significant factor to be considered when assessing seniors' depression. When measuring depression, it was found that only 5% of elderly people suffer from severe depression, almost 17% suffer from mild depression, and more than 77% of elderly people have no symptoms of depression. It is important not to underestimate the symptoms of depression, because there is a clear therapeutic potential and their early recognition can be important for eliminating the fear of falling. The introduction of specific measures also depends on the individual attitude and health of the individual
KEYWORDS
fear of falling, depression, elderly people, health of the individual
REFERENCE
NORDSCI Conference proceedings 2022, Book 1,Volume 5, ISSN 2603-4107, ISBN 978-619-7495-27-0, DOI paper 10.32008/NORDSCI2022/B1/V5/21, Pages 221 - 228 pp