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Associations Between Changes in Depression/Anxiety Symptoms and Fall Worry Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults.

Choi NG, Zhou Y, Marti CN, Kunik ME. Associations Between Changes in Depression/Anxiety Symptoms and Fall Worry Among Community-Dwelling Older Adults. Journal of applied gerontology : the official journal of the Southern Gerontological Society. 2022 Dec 1; 41(12):2520-2531.

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Abstract:

Using the 2019 and 2020 National Health and Aging Trend Study, we examined the association between fall worry and changes in depression/anxiety symptoms among community-dwelling older adults age 70+ ( = 3333). Past-month fall worry in 2020 included any fall worry (30.9%) and activity-limiting fall worry (34.0% of those with any fall worry). Changes in depression/anxiety symptoms referred to an increase or decrease in the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 symptom categories between 2019 and 2020. Those with fall worry, compared to those without, had significantly higher rates of moderate/severe depression/anxiety symptoms in 2019 and increased depression/anxiety symptoms over time. Multivariable analysis results show that increased depression anxiety symptoms were associated with higher risks of any and activity-limiting fall worry, controlling for previous year''s fall worry, fall incidents, and other health- and fall-related covariates. Older adults need to be screened for both depression/anxiety and fall worry. Effective psychosocial and behavioral interventions for both conditions are needed.




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