Abstract
ObjectiveTo assess the relationship of PA habits and fall risk in the Parkinson’s disease (PD) community.
Method
A total of 24 patients (mean age = 71.38 ± 7.22) with PD completed a series of surveys about their fear of falling (FOF), fall risk, physical activity (PA) habits, and the impact of COVID-19 on PA. Stepwise multiple regression analyses were used to determine the contribution of PA habits to FOF and fall risk, as well as demographic characteristics and disease symptoms to FOF and fall risk at a significance level of p = .05.
Results
In the sample, 20.83% of the participants scored as having a FOF and 70.83% of the subjects scored as being at fall risk. Energy expenditure in land-based moderate-intensity exercise (β = -0.001, p = .01) explained 22.6% of variance for FOF (R2 =.22, F(1, 22) = 6.44, p = .01), but there were no PA variables that predicted fall risk. Motor impairment (β = 1.78, p = .02) predicted 22.3% of variance for FES score (R2 = 0.22, F(1, 22) = 6.32, p = .02), while motor impairment (β = 0.19, p = .02), non-motor symptom severity (β = 0.07, p = .02), and age (β = 0.18, p = .03) predicted 62.1% of variance for fall risk (R2 = 0.62, F(3, 20) = 10.93, p < .001). There was a positive correlation between perceived change of PA due to COVID-19 and METS in all exercise-related activities (r = .57, p = .01).
Conclusion
PD symptoms, specifically motor symptoms, are stronger predictors of fall risk and FOF than variables of PA habits.