@article{ref1,
title="A longitudinal study of the negative impact of falls on health, well-being, and survival in later life: the protective role of perceived control",
journal="Aging and mental health",
year="2020",
author="Jónsdóttir, Harpa Lind and Ruthig, Joelle C.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="<b>Objectives:</b> Falls can have detrimental effects on older adults' psychological well-being, physical health, and survival rates. However, certain psychosocial mediators may lessen the negative impact of suffering a fall on health and well-being. Perceived control is a psychosocial factor that was examined as a mediator of the falls - health and well-being relationship in the current study.<b>Method:</b> Participants were 232 community-dwelling older adults, age 68 or older who took part in a longitudinal study in 2008 and 2010 and completed measures of perceived control, self-rated health, health-care utilization, number of falls, depressive symptomology, and perceived stress. Survival was also tracked for seven years from 2008 through 2015.<b>Results:</b> Older adults who suffered a fall had poorer health and well-being two years later compared to those who did not suffer a fall. Perceived control mediated the negative impact of falls on subsequent health and well-being outcomes two years later. Among older adults who experienced a fall, higher levels of perceived control predicted better subsequent health and well-being. Suffering one or more falls also predicted less likelihood of survival seven years later, beyond the effects of age, gender, marital status, and education.<b>Conclusion:</b> Findings highlight the importance of assessing risk of falling and levels of perceived control in later life.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1360-7863",
doi="10.1080/13607863.2020.1725736",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2020.1725736"
}