Association between Falls, Fear of Falling and Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.
Healthcare (Basel)
; 12(16)2024 Aug 16.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39201196
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Longevity increases pose public health challenges, especially in managing falls and their psychological impacts on older adults. Limited evidence exists on the relationship between a fear of falling (FOF), previous falls, and depressive symptoms among community-dwelling older adults.OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the association between falls, FOF, and depressive symptoms in community-dwelling older adults.METHODS:
This cross-sectional study, conducted in 2018, included 400 older adults from a Basic Health Unit in São Paulo, Brazil. The Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15) and the International Falls Efficacy Scale (FES-I) were used, along with self-report questionnaires on fall history. Linear and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationships between variables.RESULTS:
The mean age was 75.2 (SD = 8.53) years, with 63.2% being female. Depressive symptoms were observed in 18.3% of the participants, while 90.5% reported a fear of falling (FOF). More than half (63.0%) experienced falls, with 49.5% occurring in the last year. Factors such as the female gender, negative health perceptions, and functional dependence were associated with depressive symptoms. Adjusted analyses indicated that both a fear of falling (FOF) (B = 0.043; p = 0.012) and a history of falls (B = 0.725; p = 0.015) were associated with depressive symptoms.CONCLUSIONS:
Falls, FOF, and depressive symptoms are interlinked among older adults, underscoring the need for targeted interventions to improve their mental and physical health.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Healthcare (Basel)
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Brasil
País de publicação:
Suíça