title: Anxiety disorders and falls among older adults.
abstract: Falls are common among older adults and can lead to serious injuries, including fractures. We aimed to determine associations between anxiety disorders and falls in older adults.
  
  
  
  Participants were 487 men and 376 women aged ≥60 years enrolled in the Geelong Osteoporosis Study, Australia. Using the Structured Clinical Interview for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Non-patient edition (SCID-I/NP), lifetime history of anxiety disorders was determined. Falls were determined by self-report. In men, a falls-risk score (Elderly Falls Screening Test (EFST)) was also calculated.
  
  
  
  Among fallers, 24 of 299 (8.0%) had a lifetime history of anxiety disorder compared to 36 of 634 (5.7%) non-fallers (p=0.014). Examination of the association between anxiety and falls suggested differential relationships for men and women. In men, following adjustment for psychotropic medications, mobility and blood pressure, lifetime anxiety disorder was associated with falling (OR 2.96; 95%CI 1.07-8.21) and with EFST score (OR 3.46; 95%CI 1.13-10.6). In women, an association between lifetime anxiety disorder and falls was explained by psychotropic medication use, poor mobility and socioeconomic status.
  
  
  
  Sub-group analyses involving types of anxiety and anxiety disorders over the past 12-months were not performed due to power limitations.
  
  
  
  Although anxiety disorders were independently associated with a 3-fold increase in likelihood of reported falls and high falls risk among men, an independent association was not detected among women. These results may aid in prevention of falls through specific interventions aimed at reducing anxiety, particularly in men.
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia. Electronic address: khollo@barwonhealth.org.au.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Holloway
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; The Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Melbourne Medical School, Western Campus, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Australian Institute of Musculoskeletal Sciences (AIMSS), The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Brennan-Olsen
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Morse
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; Melbourne Medical School, Western Campus, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Barwon Health, Ryrie Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kotowicz
authors.affiliation: The Institute for Health and Ageing, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Rural Clinical School, The University of Queensland, Toowoomba, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.affiliation: Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia; Melbourne Medical School, Western Campus, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia; Barwon Health, Ryrie Street, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Pasco
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone; D006801:Humans; D057187:Independent Living; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051346:Mobility Limitation; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011619:Psychotropic Drugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D012923:Social Class
chemical_list: D011619:Psychotropic Drugs
keywords: Accidental falls; Anxiety; Australia; Men and women