ABSTRACT

Objective : To confirm the variables in the falling efficacy of the elderly in rural areas, this paper deals with thecausal relationship between variables that is related to the physical and psychological factors and effectsthrough functional mobility as a parameter. Methods : Data were collected from 290 elderly subjects in 13 senior centers in the Nonsan area fromSeptember 3rd, 2008 to May 30th, 2009. For the physical factor, measurements of lower extremity (LE)mass and obesity index were carried out with an InBody 720, which measures the impedance for body parts.For the psychological factor, pain and depression tests were carried out. For functional mobility, tests forTimed Up and Go (TUG) and walking a line were carried out. Data on falls used the Fall Efficacy Scale(FES). Physical and psychological factors were used as exogenous variables for analysis, and the ML(maximum likelihood) estimation procedure of Amos 7.0 was used to analyze functional mobility as amediating variable, and causal effect of falls as a final endogenous variable.Results : The results of the analysis for correlation between variables that affect fall efficacy showed a negativeaffect of functional mobility, abdominal obesity, visceral fat, pain, depression, and age; and a positive affect formass of LE and sex. Significant factors affecting TUG as a mediating variable were LE mass (β=-.352),obesity index (β=.159), and psychological variable (β=.240); and age (β=.424) was a significant factoraffecting TUG as a control variable. Significant factors affecting TUG as a final endogenous variable werefunctional mobility (β=-.524) and psychological variable (β=-.152). The order of absolute influence in totaleffect included direct effects, and indirect effects were functional mobility (-.524), psychological variables(-.236), and age (-.164)Conclusion : The factors that affected the fall efficacy of seniors in rural areas were functional mobility, LEmass, psychological variables, obesity index, and age. An occupational therapy mediation program that isrelated with the above factors should be developed to improve the performance ability in daily life, which canincrease the fall efficacy of seniors.