Falls and fear of falling in a sample of centenarians: the role of multimorbidity, pain and anxiety

Background: To explore the recent history of falls and the existence of fear of falling in a sample of centenarians, and to identify factors associated with both conditions.

Methods: The sample included 109 centenarians from two Portuguese studies. The two main outcomes of this study are fear of falling and history of fall(s).

Results: Results revealed that more than a half (51.4%) of the participants had fallen in the last 5 years and that the percentage of fear of falling was 78.9%. No association was found between the two conditions. The factors associated with each one were found to be different: number of health conditions for history of falls, and pain frequency and anxiety for fear of falling.

Conclusions: The relationship between anxiety and fear of falling reinforces the importance of screening both conditions as it can improve their detection and treatment. The established relationship between a high number of health conditions (common at very advanced ages) and falls demands greater attention in fall prevention initiatives specifically targeted to the extremely elderly.