Falls Efficacy Scale - International (FES-I)

The FES-I measures how worried a person is about falling. It deliberately asks about concern rather than fear, and it clarifies for each activity whether or not the person currently does it, revealing whether a person is avoiding activities due to fall concerns.

Sixteen activities span everyday tasks at home, functional mobility, and social participation: getting dressed, walking on uneven ground, going up and down stairs, visiting friends, going somewhere crowded. Each is rated from not at all concerned to very concerned, and totals run 16 to 64. Published cut-points sort scores into low (16–19), moderate (20–27), and high (28–64) concern. Adding social activities is what distinguishes it from the earlier Falls Efficacy Scale.

Licensing Notes: The FES-I and Short FES-I are available free of charge for researchers and clinicians provided they are appropriately referenced.

Learn More: There is a specific rule for missing answers. If more than four items are missing on the FES-I, or more than two on the Short FES-I, the score cannot be used. The Short FES-I uses seven items and was developed for frail older adults with and without cognitive impairment.