OBJECTIVES: Check the fear of fall among falling and non falling physically active elderly and compare mobility and grip strength; verify the association between mobility, muscle strength and fear of falling. METHODS: We evaluated 40 active elderly, female, age ≥ 60 years, divided into fallers (n = 20) and non-fallers (n = 20). We used the Mini Mental State Examination (MEEM) for cognitive monitoring; Falls Efficacy Scale-International-Brazil (FES-I-BRAZIL) to assess fear of falling, muscle strength was measured by measuring the strength of hand grip through the hydraulic dynamometer, Timed Up and Go (TUG) to assess functional mobility. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between groups with regard to mobility and muscle strength. Most participants (92.5%) expressed concern over the falls. Of the elderly who took more than 12 seconds to perform the TUG, 53.84% were faller group. No correlation was found between mobility and muscle strength. CONCLUSION:No significant difference was observed between muscle strength, mobility and fear of falls among the groups. There was no significant association between mobility, muscle strength and fear of falling. This study has observed that the fear of falling is present in most of the elderly population, with or without falls history.
Aging; Postural Balance; Muscle Strength
