Reciprocal relationship between fear of falling and depression in elderly Chinese primary care patients

The objective of the current study is to investigate the link between depression and fear of falling in Hong Kong Chinese older adults in primary are settings.

Using longitudinal data collected on 321 Chinese primary care patients 65 years of age and older, the authors investigated the reciprocal relationship between fear of falling and depression and examined whether functional disability and social functioning mediated the link between fear of falling and depression. Participants were recruited from three primary care units in Hong Kong. Subjects were assessed in Cantonese by two trained assessors with Minimum Data Set-Home Care twice over a period of one year.

Findings revealed that fear of falling at baseline significantly predicted depression at 12 month follow-up assessment after age, gender, marital status, education and depression at baseline were adjusted, but depression at baseline did not predict fear of falling at 12 months after fear of falling at baseline was adjusted. Moreover, social functioning mediated the impact of fear of falling on depression.

The findings presented here indicate that fear of falling potentially increases the risk of depression in Chinese older adults in primary care settings.