Risk factors for falls among older community dwellers in Shenzhen, China

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haibin Zhou ◽  
Ke Peng ◽  
Anne Tiedemann ◽  
Ji Peng ◽  
Catherine Sherrington
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Living Alone ◽  
Self Rated Health ◽  
The Past ◽  
Impaired Balance ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls ◽  
Walking Aid ◽  
Community Dwellers

ObjectiveTo determine the rate of falls reported by older community dwellers in Shenzhen, China and to identify fall-related risk factors.MethodParticipants were community dwellers residing in Shenzhen, China, who were aged 60 years and over and were recruited using multistage random sampling. All participants were surveyed about demographic and health-related information, mood, vision and hearing impairment, self-rated health and retrospective falls, and a test of balance was administered. Univariate and multivariate negative binomial regression was used to identify factors associated with a greater number of falls.ResultStudy participants were 1290 people aged 60–98 years (mean 68.2 years, SD ±6.5). One hundred and seventy-seven falls were reported. One hundred and eleven (8.6%) participants reported one fall in the past year, 17 (1.3%) participants reported two falls and 10 (0.8%) participants reported three or more falls. Univariate analysis showed that age, living alone, presence of a medical condition, medication usage, visual impairment, poor subjective body sense perception, low mood, poor self-rated health and poor balance were associated with a greater number of falls in the past year. Multivariate analysis identified presence of a medical condition (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.40, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.67), living alone (IRR=2.46, 95% CI 1.12 to 5.41), visual impairment (IRR=1.46, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.08), walking aid use (IRR=2.29, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.69) and impaired balance (IRR=1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.10) to be significantly associated with a greater number of falls in the past year.ConclusionMore falls occurred in older Chinese people with presence of a medical condition, living alone, visual impairment, used a walking aid and impaired balance.

scholarly journals Risk of falls and fear of falling in older adults residing in public housing in Ontario, Canada: findings from a multisite observational study

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Pirrie ◽  
Guneet Saini ◽  
Ricardo Angeles ◽  
Francine Marzanek ◽  
Jenna Parascandalo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Public Housing ◽  
Fear Of Falling ◽  
Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable Consumption ◽  
Medical Attention ◽  
Fruit And Vegetable ◽  
The Past ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Abstract Background Falls in older adults is a widely researched topic. However, older adults residing in public housing are a vulnerable population that may have unique risk factors for falls. This study aims to describe the prevalence and risk factors for falls, fear of falling, and seeking medical attending for falls in this population. Methods Sociodemographic and health-related data was collected as part of a community-based health assessment program with older adults in public housing. Three pre-screening questions identified individuals at potential risk for falls; individuals who screened positive performed the objective Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. Logistic regression was used to evaluate risk factors for four outcome variables: falls in the past year, seeking medical attention for falls, fear of falling, and objectively measured fall risk via TUG test. Results A total of 595 participants were evaluated, of which the majority were female (81.3%), white (86.7%), did not have a high school diploma (50.0%), and reported problems in mobility (56.2%). The prevalence of falls in the past year was 34.5%, seeking medical attention for falls was 20.2% and fear of falling was 38.8%. The TUG test was completed by 257 participants. Notably, males had significantly reduced odds of seeking medical attention for a fall (OR = 0.50, 95%CI 0.25–0.98) and having a fear of falling (OR = 0.42, 95%CI 0.24–0.76); daily fruit and vegetable consumption was associated with decreased odds of having a fall in the past year (OR = 0.55, 95%CI 0.37–0.83), and alcohol consumption was associated with increased odds of fear of falling (OR = 1.72, 95%CI 1.03–2.88). Conclusion Older adults residing in public housing have unique risk factors associated with social determinants of health, such as low fruit and vegetable consumption, which may increase their risk for falls. The findings of this study can be used to inform falls interventions for this population and identify areas for further research.

scholarly journals Different Aspects of Visual Impairment as Risk Factors for Falls and Fractures in Older Men and Women

2004 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1539-1547 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michiel R de Boer ◽  
Saskia MF Pluijm ◽  
Paul Lips ◽  
Annette C Moll ◽  
Hennie J Völker-Dieben ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Older Men ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls ◽  
Older Men And Women

Risk Factors for Falling among Community-Dwelling Veterans and Their Caregivers

2005 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Speechley ◽  
Shannon Belfry ◽  
Michael J. Borrie ◽  
Krista Bray Jenkyn ◽  
Richard Crilly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Family Doctor ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Lower Extremity Weakness ◽  
The Past ◽  
Injurious Falls ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls ◽  
Risk Factors For Falling

ABSTRACTPurpose: To assess the prevalence and strength of association of risk factors for falling in Canadian veterans of World War II and Korea and their caregivers.Methods: Questionnaires were sent to addresses of 3,000 Canadian veterans (response rate = 70%). Risk factors for falls and the frequency of falls and injurious falls in the past 12 months were collected.Results: Veterans had more risk factors than did caregivers, and more had fallen in the past year (39.8% vs. 29.7%). Risk factors in the logistic model for veterans included lower extremity disability (odds ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval 1.5–2.6); lower extremity weakness (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.3–2.3); worse memory than peers (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.1–2.5); one or more visits to the family doctor in the past month (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.2–2.0); and worse memory than 5 years ago (OR 1.36, 95% CI 1.0–1.8).Conclusions: Veterans appear more frail and prone to falling than their caregivers.

scholarly journals Risk Factors for Falls in Patients with Alzheimer Disease: A Retrospective Study of Balance, Cognition, and Visuospatial Ability

2021 ◽  
pp. 58-63
Author(s):  
Mayuka Oki ◽  
Miyuki Matsumoto ◽  
Yukiko Yoshikawa ◽  
Mitsuko Fukushima ◽  
Akira Nagasawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Logistic Regression ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Alzheimer Disease ◽  
Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Visuospatial Ability ◽  
Cutoff Value ◽  
The Past ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Aim: This study aimed to determine the main risk factors for falls in patients with Alzheimer disease (AD) by comparing balance, cognition, and visuospatial ability between those who have experienced a fall and those who have not. Methods: Forty-seven AD patients were admitted to a ward for patients with dementia (22 men and 25 women). The balance of patients was evaluated using the Functional Reach Test (FRT), the one-leg standing duration, and the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test. The Mini-Mental State Examination-Japanese (MMSE-J) was used to evaluate cognition. For visuospatial ability assessment, the Clock-Drawing Test (CDT) as well as overlapping figure identification and shape discrimination in the Visual Perception Test for Agnosia (VPTA) were used. The patients were allocated to either the fall group or the nonfall group based on their history of falls in the past year. The relationships between patients’ characteristics and evaluation outcomes were compared and examined. Logistic regression analysis was performed using a fall as the objective variable. The area under the curve (AUC) and the cutoff value were calculated. Results: Of the 47 participants, 22 had experienced falls within the past year (46.8%). The results of the FRT, one-leg standing duration, the TUG, the CDT, and the VPTA were significantly lower in the fall group. No significant difference between the MMSE-J scores of the fall group and those of the nonfall group was observed. The results of the logistic regression analysis indicated that falls in AD patients were significantly associated with the FRT. It was found that a shorter FRT distance (cm) had a significant impact on falls. For the FRT, the fall-related AUC was 0.755. At a cutoff value of 24.5 cm, the level of sensitivity was 68.0%, and the level of specificity was 77.3%. Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that balance and visuospatial abilities are risks factors for falls in AD patients. In contrast, cognitive impairment was not a risk factor for falls. It was demonstrated that the FRT could be an appropriate risk predictor for falls in AD patients. In particular, falls in AD patients were strongly affected by a reduced dynamic balance.

Clinical and Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Evaluate Falls, Balance and Gait Dysfunction in Leukoaraiosis: an Observational, Prospective Cohort Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-230
Author(s):  
Weiyi Zhang ◽  
Huicong Shen ◽  
Xiaomei Yao ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Shuo Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Corpus Callosum ◽  
Elderly Patients ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
White Matter Tracts ◽  
The Past ◽  
History Of ◽  
Gait Function ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Objective: To assess the correlation between leukoaraiosis (LA) and falls, to determine the risk factors for falls in patients with LA, and to detect specific white matter tracts are associated with the falls by using the diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DTI) screen. Methods: For the elderly patients with LA, we collected demographic information and scores for the Tinetti Balance and Gait Scale, Berg Balance Scale, Timed up-and-go test, and Cognitive, Emotional, Sleep-related Scale. All the patients underwent DTI scanning and were followed up for 1 year. Results: Ninety-four individuals were prospectively enrolled. After multivariable analyses, age, history of falls in the past year, antidepressants usage, and LA-Fazekas grade were reported to be risk factors for falls. In patients with severe LA, the fall incidence was higher than in those with mild LA. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics showed that fractional anisotropy values of the corpus callosum, cingulate gyrus, anterior limb of internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, anterior corona, and fronto-occipital fasciculus were significantly reduced in the patients who fell. The body of the corpus callosum and anterior corona radiate were significantly related to balance and gait function. Conclusions: Our findings indicated that age, history of falls in the past year, antidepressants usage, and LA-Fazekas grade were risk factors for falls in elderly patients with LA. Leukoaraiosis was relevant for falls, but LA severity had a threshold effect with falls. The loss of integrity of some white matter tracts might influence balance and gait function. The DTI had preeminent clinical application prospects for identifying fall risk in patients with LA.

scholarly journals Urban-Rural Dimension of Falls and Associated Risk Factors among Community-Dwelling Older Adults in West Java, Indonesia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Susiana Nugraha ◽  
Sabarinah Prasetyo ◽  
Indri Hapsari Susilowati ◽  
Tri Budi W. Rahardjo
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Visual Impairment ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
West Java ◽  
Associated Risk Factors ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Falls are one of the common problems among older adults; it is estimated that 684,000 fatal cases of falls occur every year. Furthermore, falls constitute one of the leading causes of mortality due to accidental injury. This study aims to identify the risk factors for falls in the older adults who live in the community, according to the dimensions of the living area: in urban and rural. The proportional sampling method was used to identify the rural and urban areas in West Java Prefecture; meanwhile, the incidence of fall in the last 12 months was selected as the outcome variable. Furthermore, sociodemographic background, chronic medical condition, fear of falling, visual and hearing impairments, Activity of Daily Living (ADL), Barthel index, physical performance (Short Performance Physical Battery (SPPB)), and living environment were analyzed to identify the risk factors that contribute to the incidence of falls. A total of 611 older adults participated in this study: 62% of them are living in rural area and 38% of them are living urban areas. More than 70% of study participants were aged 60–69 years, while 73% were females. There is no significant difference in fall prevalence in rural (16.5%) and urban (10.7%) areas ( p value = 0.228). Furthermore, the multiple logistic regression analysis showed that the male gender (OR = 0.29, 95%CI [0.09–0.88]), chronic illness (OR = 3.25, 95%CI [1.24–8.53]), and visual impairment (OR = 3.6, 95%CI [1.52–8.54]) were associated with fall among older adults in urban areas. Meanwhile, visual impairment (OR = 1.81, 95%CI [1.03–3.18]) and living environment (OR = 3.36, 95% CI [1.14–9.93]) were significantly associated with falls in rural areas. Based on the associated risk factors identified in this study, a different approach is needed to reduce the falling risk among older adults in urban and rural areas in Indonesia.

scholarly journals History of Falls, Dementia, Lower Education Levels, Mobility Limitations, and Aging Are Risk Factors for Falls among the Community-Dwelling Elderly: A Cohort Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (17) ◽  
pp. 9356
Author(s):  
Yan-Yuh Lee ◽  
Chien-Liang Chen ◽  
I-Chen Lee ◽  
I-Ching Lee ◽  
Nai-Ching Chen
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Community Dwelling ◽  
Mobility Limitations ◽  
Mild Dementia ◽  
Education Levels ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lower Education ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls ◽  
Community Dwellers

Background: Falling is a serious issue among elderly community dwellers, often resulting in disability. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for falls among elderly community dwellers. Methods: We recruited 232 participants from multiple community learning and care centers, who provided their information through questionnaires. They were divided into two groups, according to their falling events after a 1-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 64 participants reported a fall at the 1-year follow-up. The falling group comprised older and single people with lower education levels, higher rates of dementia, a history of falls, lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, and more disability functions when compared to the non-falling group (all p < 0.05). The regression model showed that a history of falls (OR: 62.011; p < 0.0001), lower education levels (OR: 4.088; p = 0.039), mild dementia (OR: 20.729; p = 0.028), older age (OR: 1.176; p < 0.0001), walking for 300 m (OR: 4.153; p = 0.030), and running for 30 m (OR: 3.402; p = 0.015) were 1-year risk factors for falls. Conclusion: A history of falling, low education levels, aging, mild dementia, and certain mobility limitations were strong risk factors for future falling accidents in elderly Taiwanese community dwellers.

Prevalence of Falls and Risk Factors in Adults with Intellectual Disability

2012 ◽  
Vol 117 (6) ◽  
pp. 442-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kelly Hsieh ◽  
James Rimmer ◽  
Tamar Heller
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Seizure Disorder ◽  
Baseline Data ◽  
Full Sample ◽  
The Past ◽  
Walking Aids ◽  
Logistic Regressions ◽  
Risk Factors For Falls

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of falls and risk factors for falls in 1,515 adults (≥ 18 years) with intellectual disability using baseline data from the Longitudinal Health and Intellectual Disability Study. Nearly 25% of adults from the study were reported to have had one or more falls in the past 12 months. The prevalence of falls increased with advancing age. A series of univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to identify risk factors for falls in the full sample and in subsamples. The risk factors for falls in adults with intellectual disability are being female, having arthritis, having a seizure disorder, taking more than 4 medications, using walking aids, and having difficulty lifting/carrying greater than 10 lb.

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