Concern about falling is associated with segmental control when turning in older adults

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Biomechanics
• Psychology of Aging

Background:

• Healthy young adults use a sequential 'top-down' body reorientation during turns (head, trunk, pelvis).
• Older adults at risk of falling often exhibit 'en-bloc' turning, characterized by reduced segment angular displacement.
• The functional and psychological factors influencing en-bloc turning in older adults are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between concern about falling and en-bloc turning strategies in older adults.
• To determine if this association persists when controlling for functional balance ability.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one older adults performed an adaptive walking task involving turns.
• Kinematic data of head, trunk, and pelvis segments were collected using marker-based motion analysis.
• Gait velocity was calculated, and correlation analyses were performed between turning strategies and concern about falling, with and without controlling for balance.

Main Results:

• Concern about falling was significantly associated with en-bloc turning strategies and slower gait velocity when analyzed independently of balance.
• Even after controlling for functional balance ability, en-bloc turning (head-trunk and head-pelvis coupling) remained significantly linked to concern about falling.

Conclusions:

• Psychological factors, specifically concern about falling, play a role in shaping turning biomechanics in older adults.
• En-bloc turning may be a compensatory strategy influenced by fear of falling, impacting fall risk in older populations.