Activity restriction induced by fear of falling and objective and subjective measures of physical function: A prospective cohort study

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether activity restriction specifically induced by fear of falling (FF) contributes to greater risk of disability and decline in physical function. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Population-based older cohort. PARTICIPANTS: Six hundred seventy-three community-living elderly (≥65) participants in the Invecchiare in Chianti Study who reported FF. MEASUREMENTS: FF, fear-induced activity restriction, cognition, depressive symptoms, comorbidities, smoking history, and demographic factors were assessed at baseline. Disability in activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) and performance on the Short Performance Physical Battery (SPPB) were evaluated at baseline and at the 3-year follow-up. RESULTS: One-quarter (25.5%) of participants did not report any activity restriction, 59.6% reported moderate activity restriction (restriction or avoidance of