Impact of fear of falling on social engagement among older adults: A nationwide longitudinal panel study

IF 4 3区医学 Q1 GERIATRICS & GERONTOLOGY

Journal of Nutrition Health & Aging Pub Date : 2025-05-27 DOI:10.1016/j.jnha.2025.100589

Jae Hyeok Lim , Min Jeong Joo , Jisu Ko , Dan Bi Kim , Eun-Cheol Park , Min Jin Ha

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Backgrounds

Fear of falling (FoF) is characterized by persistent concerns about falling, and empirical investigations are needed to examine the influence of perceived FoF on the broader and more active dimensions of social functioning. This study aims to explore the association between FoF and social participation in older adults, as well as the effects of changes in status over time.

Methods

This longitudinal panel study analyzed data from eight waves (2006–2020) of the Korean Longitudinal Study of Aging, comprising 8,632 participants aged 60 years and older (3,735 males and 4,897 females). FoF and activity restriction were assessed, with social engagement defined as involvement in at least one formal social activity, and the frequency of participation was also measured. Additionally, these statuses were categorized to reflect changes from the previous wave. Generalized estimating equation models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results

Over a mean follow-up period of 8.94 years, the average level of social engagement, accounting for variations across all waves, was 73.1% among males and 66.5% among females. Compared to the no FoF group, individuals who had FoF exhibited significantly lower likelihoods of engaging in formal social activity in males (OR: 0.77, CI: 0.67–0.87) and females (OR: 0.84, CI: 0.75–0.94), while those with both FoF and activity restriction exhibited even lower odds of engagement (males, OR: 0.53, CI: 0.44–0.63; females, OR: 0.72, CI: 0.63–0.83). Additionally, FoF is associated with a tendency to impede newly initiated or ongoing social engagements, with more pronounced effects observed in individuals who reported persistent FoF over time.

Conclusions

FoF is associated with reduced social engagement in older adults, and therefore, individuals with FoF may require special attention to prevent negative health outcomes resulting from social isolation caused by FoF.

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老年人对跌倒的恐惧对社会参与的影响：一项全国纵向小组研究

摔倒恐惧（FoF）的特征是对摔倒的持续担忧，需要实证调查来检查感知到的FoF对社会功能更广泛和更积极的维度的影响。本研究旨在探讨FoF与老年人社会参与的关系，以及地位随时间变化的影响。方法本纵向面板研究分析了韩国老龄化纵向研究的八期（2006-2020年）数据，包括8632名60岁及以上的参与者（男性3735名，女性4897名）。FoF和活动限制被评估，社会参与被定义为参与至少一个正式的社会活动，参与的频率也被测量。此外，对这些状态进行了分类，以反映前一波的变化。使用广义估计方程模型估计校正优势比（ORs）和95%置信区间（ci）。结果在8.94年的平均随访期内，男性的平均社会参与水平为73.1%，女性为66.5%。与无FoF组相比，有FoF的男性（OR: 0.77, CI: 0.67-0.87）和女性（OR: 0.84, CI: 0.75-0.94）参与正式社交活动的可能性显著降低，而同时有FoF和活动限制的男性参与社交活动的可能性更低(OR: 0.53, CI: 0.44-0.63；女性，OR: 0.72, CI: 0.63-0.83)。此外，FoF与阻碍新发起或正在进行的社交活动的倾向有关，在长期持续FoF的个体中观察到更明显的影响。结论：FoF与老年人社会参与减少有关，因此，FoF患者可能需要特别关注，以防止由FoF引起的社会孤立造成的负面健康后果。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Journal of Nutrition Health & Aging 医学-老年医学

CiteScore

7.80

自引率

3.40%

发文量

136

审稿时长

4-8 weeks

期刊介绍： There is increasing scientific and clinical interest in the interactions of nutrition and health as part of the aging process. This interest is due to the important role that nutrition plays throughout the life span. This role affects the growth and development of the body during childhood, affects the risk of acute and chronic diseases, the maintenance of physiological processes and the biological process of aging. A major aim of "The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging" is to contribute to the improvement of knowledge regarding the relationships between nutrition and the aging process from birth to old age.