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The Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I) is a measure of “fear of falling” or “concerns about falling”, developed as a part of the Prevention of Falls Network Europe (ProFaNE) project from 2003 to 2006 by Todd et al[1]. It is a 16 item questionnaire, useful to the researchers and clinicians interested in fear of falling, with a score ranging from minimum 16 (no concern about falling) to maximum 64 (severe concern about falling)[2].
Intended Population
The FES-I is intended to be used in adult population to measure the level of concern about falling during social and physical activities inside and outside the home whether or not the person actually does the activity.[3]
Method of Use
Equipment
Pen
Paper
Training
no special training required
Mode and Cost of Instrument
It can be administered as self-completion questionnaires, or interview based questionnaire.
Instrument
It is a 16-item questionnaire where individuals are instructed to score their concern of falling during an activity on a 4 point Likert scale with 1 as not concerned at all and 4 as very concerned. The item scores are summed up to obtain a total, with higher the score, higher being the concern for falling.
The items included are:
Cleaning the house (e.g. sweep, vacuum, dust)
Getting dressed or undressed
Preparing simple meals
Taking a bath or shower
Going to the shop
Getting in or out of a chair
Going up or down stairs
Walking around in the neighborhood
Reaching for something above your head or on the ground
Going to answer the telephone before it stops ringing
Walking on a slippery surface (e.g. wet or icy)
Visiting a friend or relative
Walking in a place with crowds
Walking on an uneven surface (e.g. rocky ground, poorly maintained pavement)
Walking up or down a slope
Going out to a social event (e.g. religious service, family gathering, or club meeting)
Evidence
Reliability and validity
In Parkinson's Disease: Internal consistency (α = 0.96, On phase; 0.98, Off phase) and test-retest reliability (0.94; 0.91) were satisfactory in on phase of drug an off phase. There was a a moderate/high correlation (rS = |0.50–0.70|) between FES-I and Visual Analog Scale-Fear of Falling, Berg Balance Scale, and Functional Reach Test[4].
In Vestibular disorders: excellent test-retest reliability (ICC=0.94). Excellent validity[5].
In Older Adults: Excellent test retest reliability , and validity in both community dwelling and geriatric nursing home dwelling individuals[2].
In Multiple sclerosis: Excellent internal consistency (α = 0.96) with adequate criterion validity[6].
In Joint Pains and fractures: Excellent internal consistency (α = 0.94)[7].
