Balance, muscle strength, and fear of falling in older adults.

This study examined balance ability, lower-extremity muscle strength, fear of falling and their inter-relationships in 40 community-dwelling older adults (>65 years). Subjects who self-identified either as being fearful of falling or not (no concern) were screened to exclude those with known risk factors for falling. Limits of stability, maximal isometric strength, gait speed, and fear of falling were contrasted between groups (27 control subjects, 13 fearful subjects).