A Comparison of Physical Performance in Postmenopausal Women with and without Fear of Falling

Abstract

This study aimed to compared physical performance in postmenopausal women with and without fear of fall. The study was conducted with 104 postmenopausal women, aged between 40 and 59 years old who had been in post menopause for at least 1 year. The participants were divided into 2 groups using Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I), including those who had fear of falling (n=52) and those who did not have fear of falling group (n=52). The Handgrip Strength Test (HST) was applied to measure the maximum isometric strength of the hand and forearm muscles, Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT) was used to assess balance ability, and Five Times Sit to Stand Test (FTSST) was used to assess functional lower extremity strength.The results of this study demonstrated that postmenopausal women with fear of falling showed significantly lower physical performance determined by standard measures as compared to the postmenopausal women without fear of falling (p<0.05). In conclusion, the postmenopausal women without fear of falling had more physical performance than participants who had fear of falling. Therefore, health care professionals should be aware for the fear of falling and improve physical performance to reduce fear of falling and to reduce risks of falling in menopausal women.