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January 1, 2025ClinicsOpen Access

Functional fitness indicators were significantly associated with variations in Fear of Falling, but after adjusting for covariates, depressive symptoms and DHEA levels (β = -0.210, p=0.021) remained statistically significant in the model.

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Why the study?

The association between fear of falling and salivary biomarkers, such as cortisol, testosterone, DHEA, and alpha-amylase activities, had not been consistently explored.

Population

278 institutionalized older women

Comparison

Higher fear of falling (n = 176) vs Lower fear of falling (n = 102)

Design

Observational cross-sectional study

Authors

RRRafael Nogueira RodriguesSBSónia Brito‐CostaASAntônio Felipe Souza-Gomes

Discussion

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Overview

Higher FOF associates with elevated cortisol and lower DHEA in older women; hypothesis-generating for biomarker monitoring before practice change.

Structured PICO

P
Population
278 institutionalized older women (aged >60 years) living in Social and Health Care Centers in Coimbra, Portugal, with a mean age of 81.9 years.
O
Outcome
Association between Fear of Falling (assessed by the Falls Efficacy Scale) and general health status, functional fitness, and salivary-related stress biomarkers (cortisol, testosterone, DHEA, alpha-amylase).patient reported

In institutionalized older women, fear of falling is multifactorial and is significantly associated with depressive symptoms and lower salivary DHEA levels, independent of physical fitness.

Limitations

  • Time frame of saliva collection may not fully capture cortisol's typical morning peak, potentially limiting insight into its complete diurnal profile.

Cite This Study

Rodrigues et al. (2025) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a8737bd540b033b21bf149ahttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinsp.2025.100792
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Also Consider

Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context:

  1. 1Relationship between Physical Fitness, History of Falls and Depression with Fear of Falls among Institutionalised Elderly Population: A Cross-sectional Study2025
  2. 2Relationship between stress systems and inflammation in older adults concerned about falling – Findings from the FEARFALL study2025
  3. 3Fear of Falling and Its Relationship with Quality of Life in the Elderly Attending a Family Medicine Clinic in South-South Nigeria2025 · 1 citations
  4. 4Longitudinal associations of psychosocial factors and fear of falling in older adults: a systematic review.2026
  5. 5Fear of Falling in Elderly at a Tertiary Hospital Rehabilitation Clinic: A Cross-Sectional Study2025 · 1 citations