Investigation of the effect of footwear suitability on fear of falling in elderly

Purpose: This study was designed to investigate the effects of foot wear suitability on fear of falling in elderly. Methods: Total of 66 older people individuals (29 men and 37 women) with and without falling stories were included in the study. Individuals without musculoskeletal injuries in the past year, walking aid for ambulation, neurological diseases which caused balance disorders and falling, diabetic foot have been included in this study. Footwear Assessment Score which includes vamp and sole material, heel height, shoe style, and sole flexion point were used to evaluate the shoe suitability of individuals with mean aged 70.5±4.8 years. While the fear of falling was assessed using the Tinetti Falls Efficacy Scale and Activities Specific Balance Confidence Scale, Berg balance test was used for balance. Individuals with and without falling stories were compared for foot wear suitability, fear of falling and balance. Results: There was no statistically significant relationship between foot wear suitability and fear of falling (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference when individuals with falling stories compared with those without falling stories in terms of foot wear suitability (p>0.05), there was a difference in terms of balance (p<0.05). Conclusion: As the footwear suitability scores of the individuals are close to each other, we think that the effect of footwear suitability on fear of falling cannot be determined