Relationship between fall experience and fear of falling, health literacy, and self-efficacy among community-dwelling older adults

Purpose This study aimed to examine the relationship between fall experience and fear of falling, exercise-related health literacy, and self-efficacy in community-dwelling older adults. Participants and Methods A total of 360 community-dwelling older adults participated in the study. Surveys assessed fall experience, fear of falling, exercise-related health literacy, and exercise self-efficacy. Mean scores for these variables were compared between groups with and without fall experiences and between those with and without fear of falling. Results No significant differences in health literacy or self-efficacy were observed between the groups with and without fall experiences. However, self-efficacy was significantly higher among those without fear of falling than among those with fear of falling. Conclusion Lower self-efficacy was observed among individuals with fear of falling, indicating that fall prevention strategies should address both fear reduction and self-efficacy improvement to promote continued physical activity.