Association between concern about falling and depression symptoms in cognitively impaired older adults: a cross-sectional study

Concerns about falling and depressive symptomatology are well-known fall-risk factors in older people. However, whether both factors are inter-related it is not fully elucidated among individuals with cognitive issues. To shed light in this field, we analyzed the association between the concerns about falling and depressive symptoms in older adults with cognitive impairments. This cross-sectional study was composed of 67 community-dwelling cognitively impaired older adults(age: 71±5 years; sex: 78% female). We assessed their concerns about falling (independent) and depression symptoms (outcome) using the Falls Efficacy Scale - International (FESI) and the short-version of Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-15), respectively. Covariates included age, sex, education, fall history, physical (Short-Physical Performance Battery), and cognitive function (Brazilian version of Montreal Cognitive Assessment). Linear regression models were performed in order to examine the independent relationship between FESI and GDS scores. All analyses were computed using STATA and significance was set at P