A fear of falling may cause people to avoid stairs, exercise and other daily activities. But that fear can also increase the risk of a fall.

A new national survey of 1,007 U.S. adults from The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found that 63% do not recognize anxiety about falling as a risk. The survey also found that 60% do not recognize hearing loss as a risk and 74% do not recognize that an urgent need to use the bathroom can increase the chance of falling.

This study was conducted by SSRS on its Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. The SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus is a national, twice-per-month, probability-based survey. Data collection was conducted from October 1 – October 4, 2026 among a sample of 1,007 respondents. The survey was conducted via web (n=977) and telephone (n=30) and administered in English. The margin of error for total respondents is +/-3.4 percentage points at the 95% confidence level. All SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus data are weighted to represent the target population of U.S. adults ages 18 or older.