高齢者における転倒セルフエフィカシー尺度の開発 : 信頼性および妥当性の検討

抄録

This paper outlines the development of the falling self-efficacy (FSE) scale for elderly people. From interviews with 24 elderly people who lived in a home for the aged, 27 items were selected as indicators of fall events or fall-related situations during daily life activities in Study 1. These items were applied to 151 elderly people who lived in a community area and nursing homes to develop the scale in Study 2. Finally, the 15-item FSE scale was developed after checking the distribution for each item. The scale showed high reliability in terms of internal consistency (a=.96) and the test-retest procedure (r=.74) in Study 3. In Study 4, the validity was examined by finding the relationships between the FSE score and some movement variables for 10-m walking and stepping-over a 30-cm obstacle. The FSE score was significantly correlated with stride length and velocity during walking, as well as stride distance and velocity during stepping-over. Fallers during the last year also had a significantly smaller FSE score than non-fallers. In addition, persons who had a high fear of falling showed a significantly smaller FSE score. For future research, this scale should be used to screen elderly persons who have a marked fear of falling leading to restriction of their physical activity and to clarify the effects of a fall prevention program. Finally, it is considered that a cognitive-behavioral approach plays an important role in effective fall-prevention programs for elderly people.