earticle

영어

The purpose of this study is to investigate an interrelationship with life physical fitness level, falling incidence, and falling anxiety in elderly women. One-hundred nineteen elderly women (65~83 yrs) living in S and Y area in Kyunggi-do voluntarily participated in this study and all participants were screened for not having musculoskeletal injury history since past 6 months. Physical fitness tests including lower limb strength, agility, balance, flexibility, walking ability, and hand grip were conducted. For falling incidence and anxiety test, “yes” or “no” survey related to falling incidence and anxiety was conducted for a year after physical fitness test. This study results are as follows; First, based upon age tertile, there was a significant decrease in life physical fitness according to aging. Second, there was a significant interrelationship between standing on one foot test with eyes open, one of life physical fitness tests, and falling experience Lastly, there was no significant interrelationship between life physical fitness level and falling anxiety in elderly women. This one-year study confirmed that there was an increased incidence of falling caused by decreased life physical fitness and higher level of life physical fitness group showed reduced falling incidence by 74% compared to lower level of life physical fitness group through standing on one foot test with eyes open in elderly women. In addition, this study confirmed the importance of an asymmetry and bilateral symmetry of the legs to prevent falling. Further studies are needed to consider kinetic factors by determining falling prevention and this would be the basis for developing a fall prevention program.