Depressive symptomatology and fall risk among community-dwelling older adults.

ABSTRACT:

Rationale

Falls are common among older adults and may be related to depressive symptoms (DS). With advancing age, there is an onset of chronic conditions, sensory impairments, and activity limitations that are associated with falls and with depressive disorders. Prior cross-sectional studies have observed significant associations between DS and subsequent falls as well as between fractures and subsequent clinical depression and DS.

Objective

The directionality of these observed relationship between falls and DS is in need of elaboration given that cross-sectional study designs can yield biased estimates of the DS-falls relationship.

Methods

Using 2006-2010 Health and Retirement Study data, cross-lagged panel structural equation models were used to evaluate association

SUBMITTER: Hoffman GJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5411980 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature