Older adults who have a positive mindset about aging are more likely to recover well after a fall, according to a new study by researchers at Imperial College London and Coventry University.
The study is the first of its kind to show that how people feel about growing older can affect their physical recovery after a fall.
Falls are a serious issue for older people.
They can lead to injuries, hospital stays, and difficulties with everyday activities like walking or getting dressed.
In the UK, falls among older adults cost the National Health Service around £5 million every day. But not everyone who falls ends up with long-term problems.
This study aimed to understand why some people recover better than others.
The researchers studied nearly 700 adults in England aged between 60 and 90. None of them had fallen in the previous year when they first joined the study.
Participants were asked about their beliefs and attitudes toward aging—for example, whether they felt age stopped them from doing what they enjoyed.
Then, the researchers looked at the participants who experienced a fall in the following year and checked how well they recovered physically afterward.
The results showed that those with more positive views about aging were much more likely to recover well.
They were less likely to walk slowly, need help with daily activities, or become physically inactive after their fall.
In fact, people with the most positive mindsets had 162% lower odds of walking slowly, 200% lower odds of needing help, and 123% lower odds of becoming inactive after a fall, compared to those with the most negative views.
Importantly, these findings held true even after accounting for differences in age, gender, depression, physical health before the fall, and whether the fall caused an injury. This means the positive mindset itself appeared to make a real difference.
Dr. Toby Ellmers, one of the lead researchers, said the results suggest that how older adults think about aging can protect them from serious setbacks after a fall. He noted that even small actions—like having positive conversations about aging—might help people develop a healthier attitude and bounce back more easily.
His co-lead, Dr. Mathew Hill, added that while past studies have shown negative beliefs about aging are linked to poorer health overall, this is the first study to link them specifically to recovery from a fall.
The researchers hope to further explore whether helping older adults shift toward a more positive view of aging could improve physical recovery after accidents.
They also note that while the study did not account for how severe each fall was, the findings offer a strong reason to take mindset seriously in health care for older adults.
If you care about bone health, please read studies that plant-based diets can harm your bone health without these nutrients, and this bone problem may strongly increase COVID-19 death risk.
For more health information, please see recent studies that too much of this vitamin may increase your risk of bone fractures, and results showing this type of exercise may protect your bone health, slow down bone aging.
