To systematically evaluate the qualitative research on experience of fear of falling in the elderly, so as to provide theoretical basis for nursing practice.

Qualitative researches on the fear of falling among the elderly were systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang Data, VIP, and China Biology Medicine disc. The search period was from database establishment to November 5, 2023. The quality of literature was evaluated using the quality evaluation criteria for qualitative research of the Australia Joanna Briggs Institute Evidence-Based Health Care Center, and the results were integrated using the Meta-synthesis.

A total of 13 articles were included, 44 themes were extracted, categorized into 12 categories, and refined into four integrated results, namely perception of fear of falling, influencing factors of fear of falling, coping strategies in attitude and behavior, and multidimensional needs for rehabilitation nursing.

Medical and nursing staff should pay attention to and understand the fear of falling among the elderly, evaluate their fear of falling from multiple dimensions and dynamically, provide personalized guidance based on coping behaviors, create support systems to alleviate their fear of falling and meet their multidimensional needs, so as to improve their quality of life.

The aged; Fear of falling; Experience; Qualitative research; Meta-synthesis