community elderly population. Researchers have indicated fear of falling in 29%-92% of

those recently sustaining a fall and 12%-65% of those without a recent fall [46, 70, 113,

115, 144-152]. In our study, 25% of participants (33 of 133) in month one and 32%

(42/132) of all participants described fear during the first six months post stroke.

 The lower fear of falling incidence may be related to the high functioning of our

participants. At discharge, the mean FIM motor score for all participants, regardless of

fear of falling, was 74.98 (15.79) with a range of 13 to 91, and 46% of all participants

scored over 80 (maximum score is 91). This increased to 69% at month one and 74% at

month six, indicating a high functioning group of post-stroke participants.

 Incidence may have been impacted by an all male veteran sample. Women are

more likely to report a fear of falling [43, 144, 148, 155, 156] and men may underreport

fear due to a perceived negative stigma related to their fears. Fear of falling may be

underreported because those with the greatest fear may not partake in research [155, 241]

and others may fear institutionalization [143, 150].

Characterization of Fear of Falling

 Participants discussed the characterization of fear of falling. Through review and

analysis of the interviews and exploration of post-stroke fear of falling functional status,

we have determined five important factors to include in the characterization:

 (1) The time of the initial fall: participants often discussed a first fall coinciding

with their stroke. Participants realized they were at risk for both future falls and strokes

and indicated fear of decreased abilities and subsequent dependence on others. This

provides a preliminary exploration of the timing and development of fear of falling after

stroke. Timing may be related to the impact fear has on everyday life and important when

evaluating assessments and the efficacy of interventions to reduce future falls and