Pandemic may increase older adults’ risk of falling

The pandemic may have increased older adults’ risk of falling.

Researchers polled over 2,000 adults between the ages of 50 and 80 and 37% reported being less physically active in the first 10 months of the pandemic.

As a result of this reduced activity, 27% said their physical conditioning had worsened.

Also, 36% said they feared falling. Among those, a quarter said that fear increased during the pandemic.

The study authors say previous research has shown that both reduced physical conditioning and fear of falling can increase future fall risk and reduce independence.