Positive self-perceptions about aging associated with better physical recovery after a fall

Positive self-perceptions about aging associated with better physical recovery after a fall

There is a strong connection between an older person's view of how they age and how well they recover physically after a fall.

That's the finding of a new research study from Imperial College London and Coventry University, which is the first to suggest how important psychological factors can be in physical recovery after a fall. The study is published in theJournal of the American Geriatrics Society.

Falls in older adults are a major health problem because they result in high levels of physical disability and hospitalization and can affect people's ability to live independently. The impact of falls in older adults is estimated to cost the NHS £5 million a day. However, not every older adult who falls experiences physical decline. It is therefore crucial that some recover much better than others for the development of therapies and interventions.

In the study, researchers found that people with more positive self-perceptions about aging at baseline—such as a person who said age didn't stop them from doing what they wanted to do in life—were significantly less likely to have physical problems or need help with daily activities after the fall.

The study included longitudinal data from almost 700 older adults in England aged 60 to 90 who had not suffered any falls in recent years. Data included questionnaire responses that measured mindsets and beliefs about aging. The researchers then studied members of this group who experienced a fall the following year to examine connections between their subsequent recovery from that fall and their initial aging-related mindsets and beliefs. This included measuring walking speed after the fall, whether assistance was required for daily living activities, and the person's physical condition following their fall.

Those who had initially shown more "positive" aging mindset and believed that aging had not stopped them from doing what they wanted to do to recover physically in the months following a fall.

The results were found to be independent of other important factors such as age, gender, depression and pre-AD physical function. The results also controlled for whether or not the fall resulted in bodily injury. Therefore, researchers say the results cannot simply be attributed to older adults, with a "positive" mindset being younger, fitter, less depressed or generally less likely to be injured.

The researchers found that an individual assessment of the highest possible “self-perception of aging” score – or with the most positive mindset – would have a lower likelihood of exhibiting a slow gait speed, 200% lower odds of being dependent on others to perform daily living activities, and 123% lower odds of winning physical inactivity after a relapse compared to an individual assessment.

Dr. Toby Ellmers, from the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London, who co-led the study, said: "Those who expressed more positive feelings about their own aging appeared to be protected from worse physical consequences after a fall. There was a significant difference in the rate of physical recovery among the people studied, and this appeared to be consistent with their initial beliefs about growing." to be connected to older people.”

Although we knew from previous research that negative mindsets and beliefs about aging are associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes such as stroke and mortality, this is the first research to specifically link these to physical recovery after a fall. “

Dr. Mathew Hill, co-lead, from Coventry University Research Center for Physical Activity, Sport and Sports Science

Dr. Ellmers added: “Our results suggest that The way some older people view their aging process could play a key role in improving recovery and well-being. It's even possible that simple "improvements" could be made to help people develop a more positive outlook on aging - e.g. B. Discussions with a friend or relative about the positive aspects associated with aging -. This is something we are keen to explore in future research. “

The authors note that the present study did not control for the severity of various falls (but only when an injury occurred) and does not allow for definitive conclusions about causality. As a next step, researchers hope to investigate whether combating negative beliefs about aging can help ward off physical decline after a fall.

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