TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Is fear of falling the missing link to explain racial disparities in fall risk? Data from the National Health and Aging Trends Study
JO  - Clinical gerontologist
A1  - Singh, Tanvee
A1  - Belanger, Emmanuelle
A1  - Thomas, Kali
SP  - 1
EP  - 6
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVES: Emerging research suggests Black older adults experience a 30% decreased risk for falls compared with their White U.S. counterparts, and this is mediated neither by physical performance nor activity. Fear of falling (FOF) is a significant risk factor for falls, yet we know little about how FOF varies by race/ethnicity. The purpose of this original research brief was to investigate the relationship between race/ethnicity and FOF among older adults. <br><br>METHODS: 4,981 community-dwelling Medicare beneficiaries from the National Health and Aging Trends Study (NHATS) who had not self-reported a fall in the past 12 months were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the association between race/ethnicity and fear of falling, controlling for sex, age, total annual income, and mobility assistance. <br><br>RESULTS: FOF differed significantly across racial groups. Black, non-Hispanic older adults were less likely to have FOF (OR = .87, 95% CI = .71,1.07) compared with their White, non-Hispanic counterparts. In the fully adjusted model, this difference persisted and became stronger (adjusted OR = .75, 95%CI = .61,.93). <br><br>CONCLUSION: The decreased risk for falls in Black older adults could be explained by lower FOF in this group. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: These findings should inform public health fall prevention initiatives among community-dwelling older adults.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 0731-7115
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2018.1468377
ID  - ref1
ER  -