CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT04688060Updated Feb 18, 2021

Assosiations Between Fear of Fall, Functional Ambulation Category and Quality of Life in Stroke Survivors

An observational study in Fall, sponsored by Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital. Completed at 1 site in Turkey. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2021-02-18.

Sponsored by Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
146
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Stroke is one of the most common causes of acquired adult disability. The stroke survivors have lots of mobility difficulties such as poor standing, decreased walking speed, balance disturbances, and increased risk of falls (1).

Falling is a major threat to stroke patients for physical injury. Fracture resulting from falling, could affect the rehabilitation potential and functional recovery (2,3).

After a stroke, falls are one of the most common medical complications with a 73% incidence within the six months (4). In addition to physical components, psychological factors related falling include fear of falling(5). Fear of falling is defined as persisting concern regarding falling and associated with many negative physical and psychological factors (6,7). It not only affects a simple health concern, but also avoidance of activities and a loss of confidence (8).

To determine the associating factors of fear of falling (FOF) and the correlations between FOF, functional ambulation category (FAC) and quality of life (QOL) on stroke patients.

Read the detailed description

This study was a cross-sectional observational study. Each participant was assessed with standardized questionnaires and examined. Eighty six hemiplegic cronic stroke patients were recruited from our clinic from March 2018 to December 2020 with informed consent. We divided the participants into two groups; with fallers and non-fallers.

The inclusion criteria were stroke duration of 6 months or more follow 3-step commands, were able to walk 10m with no physical assistance with or without any assistive device, and scoring ≥3 on Functional Ambulation Category, and physically able to complete the testing procedure.

Exclusion criteria were other neurologic diagnosesor were medically unstable, lower-extremity fracture, or other surgical procedures during the last 6 months and were unable to provide consent.

All participants signed a written consent prior to participation in the study. The study was approved by the local institutional review board. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki ethical principles for human experimentation.

Demographic characteristics and medical history recorded by questionnaire included age, height, weight, comorbidities, number of medications, use of assistive device, date of stroke onset, and side of stroke, hemorrhagic or ischemic.

Falls history included number of falls during last 6 months or number of falls since the stroke onset, if stroke was less than 6 months prior. Fear of falling was assessed by asking subjects if they were afraid of falling (yes, no) and also ranking Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)(1).

Also functional ambulation levels, motor functions, spasticity and quality of life were assessed using Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Brunnstrom staging, Modified Ashworth scale (MAS), Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS) (2-5).

  1. Delbaere K, Close JC, Mikolaizak AS, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Lord SR. The Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). A compre- hensive longitudinal validation study. Age Ageing 2010;39:210-216
  2. Mehrholz J, Wagner K, Rutte K, Meissner D, Pohl M. Predictive validity and responsiveness of the functional ambulation category in hemiparetic patients after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2007; 88:1314-1319
  3. Hantal AÖ, Doğu B, Büyükavcı R, Kuran B. İnme etki ölçeği 3, 0: Türk toplumundaki inmeli hastalarda güvenilirlik ve geçerlilik çalışması. Türk Fiz Tıp Rehab Derg. 2014;60:106-16.
  4. Ansari NN, Naghdi S, Younesian P, Shayeghan M, practice. Inter-and intrarater reliability of the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale in patients with knee extensor poststroke spasticity. Physiotherapy theory. 2008;24(3):205-13.
  5. Brunnstrom S. Motor testing procedures in hemiplegia: based on sequential recovery stages. Physical therapy. 1966;46(4):357-75.
02

Conditions studied

  • Fall

Keywords

  • fear of fall
  • quality of life
  • ambulation
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital is the lead sponsor of 216 studies on the registry; 34 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Probability sample

Study population

stroke duration of 6 months or more follow 3-step commands 18-65 years were able to walk 10m with no physical assistance with or without any assistive device

Inclusion criteria

  • stroke duration of 6 months or more
  • follow 3-step commands
  • were able to walk 10m with no physical assistance with or without any assistive device,
  • scoring ≥3 on Functional Ambulation Category,
  • physically able to complete the testing procedure.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • other neurologic diagnosesor were medically unstable,
  • lower-extremity fracture,
  • other surgical procedures during the last 6 months
  • were unable to provide consent.
05

Study design

Observational model
Case-control
Time perspective
Prospective
Enrollment
146 participants (actual)
Target follow-up
1 Day
Patient registry
Yes

Groups and cohorts

  • fallers

    stroke duration of 6 months or more follow 3-step commands, were able to walk 10m with no physical assistance with or without any assistive device, and scoring ≥3 on Functional Ambulation Category, and physically able to complete the testing procedure Patients who have fallen 1 or more times since stroke

    Diagnostic Test: Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

  • non-fallers

    stroke duration of 6 months or more follow 3-step commands, were able to walk 10m with no physical assistance with or without any assistive device, and scoring ≥3 on Functional Ambulation Category, and physically able to complete the testing procedure. Patients who have not fallen 1 or more times since stroke

    Diagnostic Test: Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testFalls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

    The FES-1 was used to assess the fear of falling level of participants about falling during indoor or outdoor activities. It has 16 items scored on a four-point Likert scale. The Turkish validated version of the FES-I was used in this study. The total score (sum of the 16 responses) ranging from 16 to 64 points was used for data analysis. A higher score indicates better mobility performance. A cut-off score of 27 points on the 16- item FES-I was used to differentiate high concern for falling from low concern

    Also known as: Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS)

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I)

    assess the fear of falling level of participants about falling during indoor or outdoor activities minumum score 16 maximum score 64 low, moderate, and high concern (16-19, 20-27, and 28-64)

    Time frame: basline

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Tuğba Şahbaz
    Istanbul, Bakırköy 34158, Turkey
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Delbaere K, Close JC, Mikolaizak AS, Sachdev PS, Brodaty H, Lord SR. The Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). A comprehensive longitudinal validation study. Age Ageing. 2010 Mar;39(2):210-6. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afp225. Epub 2010 Jan 8. PubMed 20061508 ↗
  • Mehrholz J, Wagner K, Rutte K, Meissner D, Pohl M. Predictive validity and responsiveness of the functional ambulation category in hemiparetic patients after stroke. Arch Phys Med Rehabil. 2007 Oct;88(10):1314-9. doi: 10.1016/j.apmr.2007.06.764. PubMed 17908575 ↗
  • Ansari NN, Naghdi S, Younesian P, Shayeghan M. Inter- and intrarater reliability of the Modified Modified Ashworth Scale in patients with knee extensor poststroke spasticity. Physiother Theory Pract. 2008 May-Jun;24(3):205-13. doi: 10.1080/09593980701523802. PubMed 18569857 ↗
  • Brunnstrom S. Motor testing procedures in hemiplegia: based on sequential recovery stages. Phys Ther. 1966 Apr;46(4):357-75. doi: 10.1093/ptj/46.4.357. No abstract available. PubMed 5907254 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Feb 18, 2021, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04688060
Lead sponsor
Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital
Responsible party
Tugba Sahbaz (specialist doctor of physical medicine and rehabilitation, Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital) — Principal investigator
First posted
Dec 29, 2020
Start date
Nov 1, 2020
Primary completion
Jan 10, 2021
Completion
Jan 10, 2021
Last update
Feb 18, 2021

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Feb 2021. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion