Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare fall-efficacy and perceived health status between fallers and non-fallers among the community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: The design of this study was a descriptive-comparative survey study. A tot...
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare fall-efficacy and perceived health status between fallers and non-fallers among the community-dwelling elderly women. Methods: The design of this study was a descriptive-comparative survey study. A total of 63 elderly women participated voluntarily in this study. The structured questionnaires were used as survey tool. For the fall-efficacy, the Fall Efficacy Scale-Korean version (FES-K) was used. Fore the perceived health status, the Health Perceptions scale by Speake, Cowart, & Pellet was used. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics, t-test, & Chi-squared test. Results: Faller group had significantly lower levels of both fall efficacy (t=-3.065, p=.003), and perceived health status (t=-.876, p=.008). Fallers had significantly higher BMI than non-fallers (t=2.733, p=.008). Conclusion: Among the community-dwelling elderly women, fallers had lower levels of fall efficacy. In summary, these study showed that fall efficacy, perceived health status, and BMI were significantly different according to the fall experience. There is a need to develop the program to increase fall-efficacy and physical activity for the elderly women.