Fear of Falling Makes Falls More Likely

Some elders with no obvious physiological predispositions to falling nonetheless fear falling — and actually do fall. In this prospective study, investigators assessed the prevalence of perceived risk and physiological risk for falls and falling among 494 community-dwelling elders (mean age, 78; 54% women) in Sydney, Australia.

During the year before enrollment, 149 elders (30%) fell at least once, and 214 (43%) fell during 1-year follow-up. In a multivariate analysis, perceived risk and physiological risk for falls (measured with validated instruments) were independent risk factors for falls. Although most participants (69%) correctly perceived their risk, 11% had low physiological but high perceived risk, and 20% had high physiological but…