Positive mindset about ageing in over-60s linked to better recovery after a fall

(Press-News.org) There is a strong association between an older person’s view of how they are ageing and how well they will physically recover after a fall.

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

Falls in older adults are a major health concern because they can lead to high levels of physical disability and hospitalisation, as well as affecting people’s ability to live independently. The consequences of falls in older adults cost the NHS an estimated £5 million a day. However, not every older adult who falls experiences physical decline, so understanding why some recover much better than others is vital for developing therapies and interventions.

In the study, researchers found that individuals with more positive self-perceptions about ageing at baseline – such as a person saying that age wasn’t stopping them from doing what they wanted to do in life – were significantly less likely to experience physical problems or need help with daily activities after the fall.

The study involved longitudinal data from nearly 700 older adults across England between the ages of 60-90, who had not suffered any falls in the previous years. The data included questionnaire responses that measured mindsets and beliefs about ageing. The researchers then assessed the members of this group who experienced a fall in the following year, to explore links between their subsequent recovery from this fall and their initial ageing-related mindset and beliefs. This included measurements of post-fall walking speed, whether assistance was needed for daily living activities, and how physically inactive the person was after their fall.

Those who had initially shown more ‘positive’ ageing mindsets—such as believing that ageing was not stopping them doing what they wanted to do—were far more likely to physically recover in the months after a fall. 

The results were found to be independent of other important factors such as age, gender, depression, and pre-fall physical function. The results also controlled for whether the fall led to physical injury or not. As such, the researchers say the findings cannot simply be attributed to the older adults with a ‘positive’ mindset being younger, fitter, less depressed, or sustaining  fewer injuries in general.

The researchers found that an individual scoring the highest possible score on the ‘self perceptions of ageing’ measurements – or, having the most positive mindset – would have 162% lower odds of showing slow gait speed, 200% lower odds of being dependent on others to perform daily living activities, and 123% lower odds of physical inactivity following a fall, compared to an individual scoring the lowest possible score.

Dr Toby Ellmers of Imperial College London’s Department of Brain Sciences, who co-led the study, said: “Those who expressed more positive feelings about their own ageing seemed to be protected against worse physical consequences after a fall. There was substantial difference in the rate of physical recovery in the people we studied, and this seemed to be linked to their initial beliefs about growing older.”

Co-lead Dr Mathew Hill of Coventry University’s Research Centre for Physical Activity, Sport and Exercise Sciences, said: "Although we knew from previous research that negative mindsets and beliefs about ageing are associated with increased risk of negative health outcomes, such as stroke and mortality, this is the first research linking these specifically to physical recovery after a fall."

Dr Ellmers added: “Our results suggest that changing the way that some older people view their ageing process could play a key role in improving recovery and wellbeing. It’s even possible that simple ‘tweaks’ to help people develop a more positive mindset around ageing – such as having discussions with a friend or relative about the positives associated with ageing – could help. This is something we are very keen to explore in future research.”

The authors note that the present study did not control for the severity of different falls (but only if injury did occur) and does not allow definitive conclusions about causality. As a next step, the researchers are hoping to explore whether addressing negative beliefs about ageing can help stave off physical decline following a fall.

Self-Perceptions of Aging Predict Recovery After a Fall: Prospective Analysis From the English Longitudinal Study of Aging is published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society; DOI: 10.1111/jgs.19486

For more information, please contact:


Samantha Rey

Media Officer (Medicine)

Imperial College London

Tel:

E-mail: s.rey@imperial.ac.uk

Medicine.media@imperial.ac.uk
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This press release uses a labelling system developed by the Academy of Medical Sciences to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf

 

NOTES TO EDITORS:

Data used was from the English Longitudinal Study of Aging [ELSA], which was developed by a team of researchers based at University College London, NatCen Social Research, the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and the University of Manchester. The data were collected by NatCen Social Research. The authors would like to thank participants of the ELSA study. ELSA funding is provided by the National Institute of Aging in the USA, and a consortium of UK government departments coordinated by the Economic and Social Research Council. Self-perceptions and optimism about aging were determined through four items selected from the wider CASP19 questionnaire. This work was partially supported by a Wellcome Trust Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship awarded to Toby J. Ellmers (Grant Number: 222747/Z/21/Z).  

About Imperial College London
 

We are Imperial – a world-leading university for science, technology, engineering, medicine and business (STEMB), where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.   

As a global top ten university in London, we use science to try to understand more of the universe and improve the lives of more people in it. Across our nine campuses and throughout our Imperial Global network, our 22,000 students, 8,000 staff, and partners work together on scientific discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. Their work navigates some of the world’s toughest challenges in global health, climate change, AI, business leadership and more.  

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About Coventry University Group 

 

Coventry University Group is a global education group with one clear mission: Creating Better Futures. With a reputation for innovation and inclusivity, we empower students and communities across the world to transform their lives and society through teaching, learning, research and enterprise. 

We have a commitment to transformative education and training, and we offer world-class campus facilities and longstanding industry partnerships that help us to nurture job-ready graduates with the skills and creative thinking needed to improve their communities. 

Over almost two centuries, Coventry University has evolved to become the beating heart of Coventry, one of the largest universities in the UK and a true leader in training the nurses, teachers and engineers of the future. 

Today, as a global family of education providers, Coventry University Group has grown to encompass seven sites in England and badged and branch campuses in Poland, Egypt, Morrocco, China and Kazakhstan. The Group also delivers degrees through partner higher education providers in more than 30 countries and our global hubs in India, China, Singapore, Belgium and Rwanda support our vision by helping to build impactful connections with like-minded organisations across the world.  

As a mission-led education group, our research is designed to tackle grand societal challenges. We adopt a collaborative approach, drawing on the cross-discipline and cross-sector expertise that lies within and across all of our research centres. The depth and breadth of our portfolio was validated in the latest Research Excellence Framework, which saw us ranked in the top half of UK institutions in the research power rankings. 

Through our enterprise activity, we help to drive innovative business partnerships with a fusion of academic research and commercial knowledge. Our success in this area was confirmed in 2022 when we won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category, one of the UK’s most prestigious business accolades, and we have established valuable partnerships with the likes of HORIBA MIRA, Unipart Manufacturing and KPIT. 

We were awarded a Gold rating in the 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework, proving we deliver excellence in what students care about most – teaching, learning and achieving positive outcomes from their studies. In recent years, we have further cemented our reputation for excellence by achieving outstanding results in global and national rankings, including a 5 QS Stars Overall Rating.  

We are proud to deliver transformational change for our students, partners and communities around the world as we continue to create better futures as a global education group. 

 

 

 

 

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