Objective
To evaluate the reliability and validity of this new measure, called the caregivers’ fear of falling index (CFFI).
Methods
The study surveyed home-based rehabilitation patients with fall-related fracture, and their primary caregivers. The characteristics of these patients were evaluated, and the caregivers were surveyed using the CFFI and Falls Efficacy Scale-International (FES-I). The reliability of the CFFI was assessed using item-total correlation, while the validity of the CFFI was evaluated through correlation coefficients calculated between the CFFI and the FES-I.
Results
The participants were 51 patient-caregiver pairs. The internal consistency of the CFFI showed an alpha coefficient of 0.904. No items were excluded in the corrected item-total correlations. The CFFI showed a moderate correlation with FES-I (r=0.432, p=0.002).
Conclusion
This study found the CFFI to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring the primary caregivers’ fear. The CFFI may be a useful tool for healthcare professionals to identify and supporting these primary caregivers.

Citations

• Assessment tools of the fear of falling: A scoping review
  Xing Xie, Jingjing Fu, Le Chen, Zhe Gao, Ruiying Zhang, Guifei Li
  Geriatric Nursing.2024; 60: 643.     CrossRef
• Association between Caregivers’ Fear of Post-fracture Patients Falling and a Decline in Patients’ Activities
  Tomohiro Kakehi, Masashi Zenta, Takuya Ishimori, Naoki Tamura, Hiromu Wada, Masahiko Bessho, Wataru Kakuda
  Progress in Rehabilitation Medicine.2023; 8: n/a.     CrossRef