Abstract

Background. Fall Efficacy Scale – International (FES-I) is a valid and reliable measure used to assess fear of fall. However, it is worth noting that FES-I is currently not available in the Tamil language. Therefore, the objective of this particular study was to cross-culturally adapt the measure into Tamil and subsequently test the validity and reliability of the translated version.

Methods. The original English version of FES-I was translated according to the protocol set by ProFaNE. The Tamil version, FES-I (T), was given to 81 elderly Tamil-speaking participants. Statistical analyses were done to compare groups based on age, gender, fear of falling, and fall history. The validity of FES-I (T) was assessed by comparing its scores with the TUG test and SPPB. The reliability of FES-I (T) was evaluated using the Intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results. The total scores obtained from FES-I (T) exhibited a positive correlation with the scores obtained from the TUG test (rs = 0.584), while displaying a negative correlation with the scores obtained from the SPPB (rs = −0.619, p-value < 0.001). Furthermore, the test-retest reliability of FES-I (T) was found to be excellent, with the Intraclass correlation coefficient for the total score recording a value of 0.99.

Conclusion. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that the FES-I (T) is a valuable tool that can be effectively utilized in both clinical practice and research settings to assess fear of falling in elderly individuals who speak Tamil.

Keywords

fall efficacy, elderly, Tamil language