While falls prevention measures are gaining in importance, against the background of the current demographic development, motivating individuals to participate in falls prevention programs remains a challenge. Therefore, one aim of this dissertation was to examine social-emotional and health-related factors that predict older adults’ attendance to falls prevention programs. The main goal of this thesis was to advance research on falls prevention by focusing on fear of falling as a psychological construct, as well as by examining its relationship to quality of life and perceived overprotection by others. The findings in Chapters 2 and 3 present results of an evaluation study of a falls prevention program, while Chapter 4 relies on data from a randomized controlled trial to increase physical activity in older adults. The results in Chapter 2 suggest that older adults meet their social needs by participating in group-based falls prevention programs, especially if they live alone. Moreover, the findings in Chapter 3 revealed that physical functioning and gait speed postulate how fear of falling compromises quality of life in old age. The findings in Chapter 4 suggest that fear of falling translates into well-intentioned support from others, which is perceived as overprotective over time. The assumption of a downward spiral between fear of falling and overprotection was not confirmed. These findings bear several implications: 1) strengthening social identification during an intervention and focusing on short-term social, emotional rewards may motivate older adults to engage in falls prevention programs, 2) interventions could support the maintenance of quality of life by targeting fear of falling as a cognitive factor in addition to physical function and gait speed, 3) future research should focus on the social environment to investigate whether overprotection by others may increase loss of independence. Finally, Chapter 5 outlines strategies for future research and practice aimed at maintaining quality of life and independence in old age, despite fear of falling.
