The Relationship Between Cognitive Status, Depression Level, Fear Of Falling, And Quality Of Life In Community-Dwelling Older Adults


YILDIRIM E., TAN M. S.

Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, cilt.15, 2026 (TRDizin)

Özet

RESEARCH ARTICLE
  

The Relationship Between Cognitive Status, Depression Level, Fear Of Falling, And Quality Of Life In Community-Dwelling Older Adults

 Year 2026, Volume: 15 Issue: 1, 206 - 213, 25.03.2026 

Ebru Yıldırım  , Mehmet Salih Tan

Abstract

The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between cognitive status, depression level, fear of falling, and quality of life among 87 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years and above.
Participants were evaluated in terms of cognitive status, depression levels, fear of falling, and quality of life, and the interrelationships among these variables were analyzed using correlation analyses. Correlation analyses showed a strong negative correlation between cognitive status and depressive symptoms (r= -0.707, p<0.01). A strong positive correlation was found between cognitive status and both the Falls Behavioural Scale scores (r=0.799, p<0.01) and quality of life (r=0.826, p<0.01). Additionally, depressive symptoms showed moderate negative correlations with the Falls Behavioural Scale scores (r= -0.667, p<0.01) and quality of life (r= -0.685, p<0.01). Finally, a strong positive correlation was observed between the Falls Behavioural Scale scores and quality of life (r=0.704, p<0.01). In conclusion, a significant relationship was identified between cognitive status, depression level, fear of falling and quality of life. Considering the study's results, it is crucial that cognitive status, depression level, and fear of falling are considered and holistically evaluated when assessing the quality of life in older adults.

Keywords

Aging    cognition    depression    fear of falling    quality of life