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Table 1 Characteristics of the participants (n = 540)

From: Socio-demographic, health-related and psychosocial correlates of fear of falling and avoidance of activity in community-living older persons who avoid activity due to fear of falling

Socio-demographic

   -Age (mean, SD, range)

77.6

4.8

70 – 92

   -Female (n, %)

388

72%

 

   -Low education (n, %)1

338

63%

 

   -Living alone (n, %)

295

55%

 

Health-related

   -Activity of daily living (mean, SD, range)2

17.3

4.5

11 – 40

   -Impaired vision (mean, SD, range)2

2.9

1.5

2 – 8

   -Impaired hearing (mean, SD, range)2

2.8

1.1

2 – 7

   -Poor/fair perceived general health (n, %)

375

69%

 

   -Number of chronic conditions (mean, SD, range)

2.3

1.6

0 – 9

   -Cognitive functioning (mean, SD, range)3

32.0

3.8

16 – 40

   -One or more falls in previous six months (n, %)

298

55%

 

Psychosocial

   -General self-efficacy (mean, SD, range)3

54.2

11.1

16 – 80

   -Mastery (mean, SD, range)3

21.2

4.6

9 – 35

   -Social support interactions (mean, SD, range)3

29.5

6.7

12 – 48

   -Feelings of loneliness (n, % all the time/mostly/often)

91

17%

 

   -Feelings of anxiety (mean, SD, range)2

7.4

4.5

0 – 21

   -Symptoms of depression (mean, SD, range)2

6.8

4.0

0 – 19

Fear of falling

   - Mild (n, %)

298

55%

 

   - Severe (n, %)

242

45%

 

Avoidance of activity

   - Mild (n, %)

315

58%

 

   - Severe (n, %)

225

42%

 
  1. 1 Low education refers to elementary school, junior high school or lower vocational level. 2 Higher level refers to poorer functioning. 3 Higher level refers to better functioning