The influence of fear of falling on gait variability: results from a large elderly population-based cross-sectional study

Table 2 Multiple linear regression models showing the association between stride-to-stride variability of stride time (dependent variable) and fear of falling (independent variable, with the group with no fear of falling and no falls used as reference) adjusted on participants’ characteristics (n = 1023)

	Change in CoV of stride time*
	Model 1^†			Model 2^†			Model 3^†			Model 4^†			Model 5^†
	ß	95% CI	P-value	ß	95% CI	P-value	ß	95% CI	P-value	ß	95% CI	P-value	ß	95% CI	P-value
Fear of falling and falls combination
No fear of falling and no falls	Ref			Ref			Ref				Ref		Ref
No fear of falling and falls	0.017	[-0.003;0.005]	0.586	0.010	[-0.004;0.005]	0.747	0.006	[-0.004;0.005]	0.847	-0.006	[-0.004;0.004]	0.847	-0.005	[-0.004;0.004]	0.876
Fear of falling and no falls	0.066	[0.000;0.011]	0.038	0.056	[-0.001;0.010]	0.084	0.047	[-0.001;0.010]	0.142	0.030	[-0.003;0.008]	0.340	0.030	[-0.003;0.008]	0.339
Fear of falling and falls	0.110	[0.004;0.015]	0.001	0.096	[0.003;0.014]	0.003	0.082	[0.001;0.012]	0.014	0.044	[-0.002;0.009]	0.175	0.042	[-0.002;0.009]	0.192
Age				0.118	[0.000;0.001]	<0.001	0.106	[0.000;0.001]	0.002	0.055	[0.000;0.001]	0.094	0.047	[0.000;0.001]	0.157
Female gender				0.041	[-0.001;0.005]	0.205	0.044	[-0.001;0.006]	0.184	0.027	[-0.002;0.005]	0.401	0.030	[-0.002;0.005]	0.349
Number of drugs daily taken per day							0.049	[0.000;0.001]	0.136	0.004	[-0.001;0.001]	0.903	0.002	[-0.001;0.001]	0.941
Body mass index							0.052	[0.000;0.001]	0.100	-0.004	[0.000;0.000]	0.909	-0.006	[0.000;0.000]	0.837
Lower limb proprioception‡							-0.001	[-0.001;0.001]	0.960	0.016	[-0.001;0.001]	0.612	0.015	[-0.001;0.001]	0.636
Visual acuity§							-0.017	[-0.001;0.001]	0.606	0.015	[-0.001;0.001]	0.629	-0.021	[0.000;0.001]	0.500
Walking speed										-0,298	[-0,042;-0,027]	<0.001	-0.292	[-0.041;-0.026]	<0.001
Use of psychoactive drugs\|\|													-0.016	[-0.002;-0.001]	0.608
Cognitive impairment#													-0.057	[-0.008;0.000]	0.060

CI = confident interval; CoV: Coefficient of variation; β: Coefficient of regression beta corresponding to increase or decrease in CoV of stride time expressed in%; *: increase or decrease; †: Separated models (Model 1: univariate model; Model 2: Model adjusted for age and gender; Model 3: Model 2 plus adjustment on number of drug daily taken, body mass index, lower limb proprioception and visual acuity; Model 4: Model 3 plus adjustment on walking speed; Model 5: Model 4 plus adjustment on use of psychoactive drugs and cognitive impairment); ‡: Mean value of left and right side and based on graduated tuning fork placed on the lower limb; §: Binocular visual acuity at a distance of 5 m with a Snellen letter test chart; ||: Use of benzodiazepines or antidepressants or neuroleptics; #: Participants with impaired Clock drawing test.

ISSN: 1743-0003