Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 14, 2025

A New Method for Inducing a Depression-Like Behavior in Rats
Published on: February 22, 2018
Social Mediators of the Association Between Depression and Falls Among Older Adults
Matthew C Lohman1, Afsaneh Fallahi1, Eric Mishio Bawa1
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC, USA.
Objectives:
To investigate the role of social factors in the association between depression and falls among older adults.
Methods:
The sample included data from 3443 older adults from three waves of the Health and Retirement Study (2010-2014). A Lifestyle Questionnaire was used to measure social engagement, social network contact, and neighborhood social context. Mediating effects of social factors were estimated through causal mediation analysis. Results: Poorer social engagement and network contact were associated with greater likelihood of falls, while poorer neighborhood context was associated with greater likelihood of fall injuries. Social engagement mediated a significant portion of the effect of depression on falls (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.06), and neighborhood context mediated a portion of the effect of depression on fall injuries (OR: 1.03, 95% CI: 1.00, 1.07). Discussion: The direct and indirect impacts of social factors suggest that considering them may help improve existing fall prevention approaches.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Depressive Disorders: Etiology
Biological Factors in Depression
Biological predispositions significantly influence the risk of developing depressive disorders. Genetic studies highlight the role of variations in the serotonin transporter...
Depression: Overview
Relationship Formation
Depressive Disorders: MDD and Dysthymia
Social Facilitation
Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia

