Walking to Prevent Fear of Falling Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Scoping Review

The current review sought to identify and synthesize the evidence on available interventions that include walking and their impact on fear of falling (FOF) among community-dwelling older adults without cognitive impairment. A 10-year search was conducted (January 2012 to January 2022) in two peer-reviewed databases. A total of 116 articles were identified, and 22 articles were reviewed. Most studies included multicomponent walking interventions, such as walking and another type of intervention or exercise. Among the different questionnaires to assess FOF, the Falls Efficacy Scale-International was the most used in 77.3% (n = 17) of studies. In addition to walking, interventions to reduce FOF mainly included balance training, lower extremity strengthening, cardio or aerobic exercises, or a combination of these exercises. Further research is needed to evaluate the impact of unidimensional walking interventions, as well as those that incorporate psychological and technological elements targeted to FOF prevention and management. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 50(1), 15-21.]