Incidence and risk factors for developing fear of falling in older adults

Fear of falling can be defined as severe anxiety that can lead to excessive restriction in activity, even in people who have never actually fallen. This study aimed to find out how fear of falling develops. Data was collected, over a two-year period, from 890 people over 65 years of age. Previous studies have shown that falling and fear of falling are predictive of each other, with fear of falling contributing to the older person adopting a high-risk gait. Fearful older people may narrow their world leading to isolation, depression and physical decline. This study confirms that fear of falling is common, causes greater anxiety than being robbed, ill-health or financial difficulties, and is associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes.