Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35363253›Full record

ArticleAge and ageing2022

Protective or harmful? A qualitative exploration of older people's perceptions of worries about falling.

Toby J Ellmers, Mark R Wilson, Meriel Norris, William R Young

Open access · hybridAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Age and ageing, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
23.0field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

41 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 57 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Stigma of concerns about falling among older adults.European geriatric medicine · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Toby J EllmersSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.
Mark R WilsonSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.
Meriel NorrisThe College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UK.
William R YoungSchool of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, UK.
University of Exeter · GBBrunel University of London · GBImperial College London · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundworries about falling are common in older people. It has been suggested that these worries can reduce balance safety by acting as a distracting dual-task. However, it is also possible that worries may serve a protective purpose. The present work adopted a qualitative approach to conduct an in-depth exploration of older people's experiences of worries about falling.

methodssemi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 community-dwelling older people (mean age = 79 years; males = 5/17) who reported experiencing worries about falling. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.

resultsexperiencing a fall-or otherwise recognising one's balance limitations-brought the physical realities of participants' ageing bodies to the forefront of their awareness. This led to the recognition of their susceptibility for an injurious fall, which triggered worries about falling in situations that threatened their balance. When preventing the subject of their worries (i.e. an injurious fall) was perceived to be within the individual's locus of control, worries led to protective adaptations to behaviour. In contrast, when the subject of their worries was perceived to be outside their control, worries triggered feelings of panic-leading to unhelpful changes in behaviour.

conclusionthese findings provide novel insight into the development and consequences of worries about falling in older people. They highlight the importance of considering an individual's perception of control before deciding to clinically intervene to reduce worries about falling.

Indexed as

Accidental FallsAnxietyAgedAgingEmotionsHumansIndependent LivingMaleanxietybalance confidencefallsfear of fallingolder peoplequalitative

Identifiers

PMID35363253
PMCPMC8972997
OpenAlexW4225978779

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.