Ambulophobia as a Specific Phobia—Defining the Problem Among Patients of Long-Term Care Facilities in Poland

BACKGROUND: Ambulophobia is a type of specific phobia that involves a fear of walking. This phobia mainly affects older people, who prefer not to leave their bed or home to avoid walking on uneven surfaces and reduce the risk of falling. The problem seems to be very important in terms of public health and the organization of long-term care, as Poland has one of the highest rates of elderly population growth. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of ambulophobia among patients of long-term care facilities in Poland and to identify factors increasing the risk of this specific phobia in the study group. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted between January and July 2021. Data collected from 379 patients of 16 long-term care facilities located in Poland were analyzed. The study used the diagnostic criteria for specific phobias according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, and standardized questionnaires such as MMSE, GDS-16, DOS and ADL. The χ(2) test was used to test the significance of differences (p = 0.05). RESULTS: The prevalence of ambulophobia in the study group was 30.1%. Ambulophobia significantly more often concerned the female sex (37.7%) and people over 70 years of age (42,1%). Factors such as depression, Parkinson's disease, orthostatic hypotonia, a history of falling or being a witness to another person falling, and disability of at least a moderate degree increased the likelihood of ambulophobia. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the obtained results, it was found that the protective factors in the development of ambulophobia are male sex, younger age, high independence, fewer drugs used per day and no previous falls or seeing another person fall.