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. 2017 Jan 17;12(4):324-330.
doi: 10.1177/1559827616687263. eCollection 2018 Jul-Aug.

The Influence of Older Adults' Beliefs and Attitudes on Adopting Fall Prevention Behaviors

Judy A Stevens  1   2 , David A Sleet  1   2 , Laurence Z Rubenstein  1   2
Affiliations

The Influence of Older Adults' Beliefs and Attitudes on Adopting Fall Prevention Behaviors

Judy A Stevens et al. Am J Lifestyle Med. .

Abstract

Among Americans aged 65 years and older, falls are the leading cause of injury death and disability, and finding effective methods to prevent older adult falls has become a public health priority. While research has identified effective interventions delivered in community and clinical settings, persuading older adults to adopt these interventions has been challenging. Older adults often do not acknowledge or recognize their fall risk. Many see falls as an inevitable consequence of aging. Health care providers can play an important role by identifying older adults who are likely to fall and providing clinical interventions to help reduce fall risks. Many older people respect the information and advice they receive from their providers. Health care practitioners can encourage patients to adopt effective fall prevention strategies by helping them understand and acknowledge their fall risk while emphasizing the positive benefits of fall prevention such as remaining independent. To help clinicians integrate fall prevention into their practice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention launched the STEADI (Stopping Elderly Accidents, Deaths, and Injuries) initiative. It provides health care providers in primary care settings with resources to help them screen older adult patients, assess their fall risk, and provide effective interventions.

Keywords: STEADI; attitudes; beliefs; elderly; fall prevention; falls; older adults.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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