Negative ageing mindsets and their association with fall-related concerns in community-dwelling older adults

Concerns about falling (CaF) are common among older adults and are associated with increased future falls. Emerging evidence suggests that ageing mindsets (i.e., how individuals perceive and internalise their own ageing process) may shape such concerns by influencing perceptions of control, vulnerability and physical decline. However, it remains unclear what unique influence ageing mindsets exert on CaF, beyond established predictors such as age, falls history and physical function. This study therefore examined whether negative ageing mindsets are independently associated with greater CaF and heightened perceptions of the consequences of a fall. With institutional ethics approval, a cross-sectional study was conducted with 622 older adults (age; 73.9 ± 6.96 years, gender; 73.5% female). CaF were assessed using the Short Falls Efficacy Scale International (Kempen et al., 2008, Age and Ageing, 37, 45–50), and perceived consequences of falling were measured using the Consequences of Falling Questionnaire (Yardley & Smith, 2002, The Gerontologist, 42, 17–23). Mindsets were assessed by determining participants’ attitudes, self-perceptions and optimism around ageing. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to assess associations, controlling for demographic, health and psychological covariates. More positive mindsets about ageing were significantly associated with lower CaF (b = −0.129 to -0.486; P < 0.003), and fewer perceived negative consequences of falling (b = −0.989 to 0.226; P < 0.017). These associations were significant even after controlling for established predictors of CaF, including age, health status and falls history. Older adults who held more positive mindsets of ageing reported lower CaF and fewer perceived negative consequences of a fall. Given that ageing mindsets are particularly amenable, interventions that promote more positive and adaptive mindsets about ageing could be a useful avenue for reducing these concerns.