Association between Falls, Fear of Falling and Depressive Symptoms in Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Autor:	Pereira MEA; Faculty of Medicine of Itajubá, Itajubá 37502-138, MG, Brazil., Santos GS; Department of Medicine, Centro Universitário Ages, Paripiranga 48430-000, BA, Brazil., Almeida CR; Department of Nursing, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil., Nunes KCS; Department of Nursing, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil., Silva MCMD; Department of Nursing, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, MG, Brazil., José H; Atlântica School of Health, 2730-036 Barcarena, Portugal.; Health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing (UICISA: E), Nursing School of Coimbra, 3004-011 Coimbra, Portugal., Sousa L; Atlântica School of Health, 2730-036 Barcarena, Portugal.; Comprehensive Health Research Centre, University of Évora, 7000-801 Évora, Portugal., Vitorino LM; Faculty of Medicine of Itajubá, Itajubá 37502-138, MG, Brazil.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) [Healthcare (Basel)] 2024 Aug 16; Vol. 12 (16). Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 16.
DOI:	10.3390/healthcare12161638
Abstrakt:	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. Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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