Psychological correlates of fear of falling: Findings from the German Aging Survey

Aim The aim of the present study was to identify general psychological factors related to fear of falling. Methods Data drawn from national probability sampling of the German population aged ≥40 years were used (German Aging Survey; n = 7779). The fear of falling and the psychological factors of loneliness, life satisfaction, positive affect, negative affect, optimism, self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, self‐regulation and perceived stress were collected in self‐administered questionnaires. Multiple logistic regression models controlling for sociodemographic, lifestyle and health‐related variables were used to determine the psychological correlates of fear of falling. Results The prevalence of fear of falling was 18% for all individuals. All psychological factors showed strong bivariate associations with fear of falling. In the multiple regression analyses, higher levels of loneliness, lower life satisfaction, lower positive affect and higher negative affect, as well as lower levels of optimism, self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, self‐regulation and more perceived stress, were associated with increased fear of falling after controlling for sociodemographic factors, various lifestyle factors and morbidity. Conclusions The psychological factors considered in the present study are important for characterizing people with fear of falling. Because effective interventions to treat the fear of falling are available, our study might help to address this target group more accurately. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2018; 18: 396–406.