Psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the fear of falling questionnaire-revised (FFQ-R) in nursing home residents with mild cognitive decline

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to investigate the validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Fear of Falling Questionnaire-Revised (FFQ-R) in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) living in a nursing home. Methods: The study was conducted with 107 (69 women) older adults. The participants were evaluated with the FFQ-R, the Falls Efficacy Scale (FES), the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Barthel Index and Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS)”. FFQ-R was refilled one month later for retesting. Results: Cronbach’s alpha value of the FFQ-R was 0.971. The global internal consistency was excellent (>0.80). Intraclass correlation coefficient of the FFQ-R was 0.962 (95% CI: 0.92–0.98), indicating excellent test-retest reliability. The Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) and Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) values of the FFQ-R was 0.80 and 2.21, respectively. The correlation between the total score of FFQ-R and the FES was excellent (r = 0.963, p < .001). The relationship between FFQ-R and MMSE was excellent (r = −0.821, p < .001). Besides, there was a moderate correlation between the FFQ-R with Barthel Index (r = −0.648, p < .001) and FFR-Q with MADRS (r = 0.568, p < .001). Conclusion: Turkish version of the FFQ-R is a valid and reliable tool to assess the fear of falling in nursing home residents.