Older People’s Fear of Falling can Increase Risk of Future Falls, says new Study

Injuries caused by falls cost health services all over the world billions and new research shows that fear of falling can increase the risk of future falls by at least 60 per cent. 

In 2023 The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) reported that the cost of falls to the National Health Service in the UK was more than £2.3 billion every year, meaning the NHS spends more than £6 million per day as a result of falls. 

Dr Samuel Nyman, Head of the Department of Psychology at the University of Winchester, is a co-author of a new international study looking at concerns about falling being a strong predictor of future falls. 

The research published in Age and Ageing (Volume 54, Issue 4, April 2025) was led by Dr Toby Ellmers, Research Fellow at the Department of Brain Sciences at Imperial College London and Professor Kim Delbaere, Senior Research Scientist and Director of Innovation and Translation at the Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre at Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA). 

Their review, which analysed 53 studies involving more than 75,000 participants, concluded that concerns about falling should be routinely included in fall risk assessments of older adults. 

Research indicated that older people with relatively higher concerns about falling had at least a 60 per cent increased likelihood of falling.  

The team’s research paper concluded:

“Baseline concern about falling is a clear predictor of future falls in older adults, supporting its inclusion in fall risk assessments. Regular assessment of concerns about falling, along with targeted interventions, could help reduce the risk of falls in older adults.”

“The first step in prevention is starting the conversation. Many older adults don’t talk about their concerns unless asked, yet these concerns are real and can increase their risk of falling,” said Professor Delbaere. 

“By routinely discussing concerns about falling, healthcare professionals, families and caregivers can help older adults take early action to stay active and independent.” 

“Older people with concerns about falling can become less physically active and more socially isolated, which in turn can have a negative impact on their quality of life,” says Dr Nyman.  

“Talking with older people about their concerns with falling can lead on to them getting the support they need to continue to be active and well and reduce their future risk of falling.” 

The 2022 World Falls Guidelines recommended assessing concerns about falling and these new findings provide stronger evidence to reinforce that recommendation.