Psychometric properties of four fear of falling rating scales in people with Parkinson’s disease

BMC Geriatrics

Table 1 Participants’ characteristics

Gender (women)	43/102
Age (years), mean (SD), min-max	73 (8), 52–91^d
Parkinson duration (years), mean (SD), min-max	7 (6), 1–30^e
Self-rated Parkinson severity
Mild	24/98
Moderate	61/98
Severe	13/98
Self-rated general health, median (first-third quartile)^a	4 (3–4)^d
Dyskinesia (yes)	40/101
Fluctuations with periods of increasing parkinsonian symptoms (yes)	52/97
Living alone (yes)	28/101
Fear of falling (yes)	56/102
Activity avoidance due to risk of falling (yes)	54/101
Falls past 6 months (yes)	36/102
Near falls past 6 months (yes)	56/102
Unsteady during walking (yes)	56/97
Unsteady during turning in walking/standing (yes)	64/96
Use of walking aid indoors/outdoors, respectively (yes)	25/96 and 43/97
Need personal support during walking indoors and outdoors, respectively (yes)	4/97 and 22/95
Need help from others in daily activities (yes)^b	19/92
Freezing of gait (yes)^c	44/93

Data are n/total unless otherwise stated.
^aPossible scoring range 1–5, higher = worse.
^bParkinson’s disease Activities of Daily Living Scale. Dichotomized: “no difficulties” and “mild difficulties” are counted as “no”. “Moderate difficulties”, “high levels of difficulties” and “extreme difficulties” are counted as “yes”.
^cItem 3 of the self-administered Freezing of Gait Questionnaire. Dichotomized: all response options but “never” are counted as “yes”.
^dn = 102.
^en = 98.

ISSN: 1471-2318