scholarly journals Risk Factors of Fall among the Community-dwelling Elderly: Fear of Falling, History of Fall, Physical Function, and Perceptual Difference between Actual and Estimated Performance

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 771-778
Author(s):  
Yumi SAKAMOTO ◽  
Yukari OHASHI
2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
H Tuna ◽  
Ö Bozan ◽  
B Gürpınar ◽  
N İlçin

Objective: This study aimed to report the fear of falling and assess its associations with several fall-related characteristics and functional fitness parameters among older adults living in the rest home. Methods: Seventy-eight older adults aged between 65-94 years were included in the study. History of falling and the number of risk factors for falling were recorded. Fear of falling was evaluated with The Falls Efficacy ScaleInternational. Functional fitness was assessed with Senior Fitness Test, including tests for the functional measurement of strength, flexibility, aerobic endurance and dynamic balance. Result: The mean age of participants was 78.46±7.16 years. There were correlations exist between fear of falling and number of fall risk factors, dynamic balance, upper body flexibility and aerobic endurance (p<0.05). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the parameters with the highest determinants of fear of falling were the dynamic balance and history of falling (p<0.05). Conclusions: In our study, history of falling, number of fall risk factors, flexibility for the upper body, aerobic endurance and dynamic balance were parameters related to fear of falling among older adults, but the most influential factors in fear of falling were dynamic balance and history of falling.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Giovanna De Roza ◽  
David Wei Liang Ng ◽  
Blessy Koottappal Mathew ◽  
Teena Jose ◽  
Ling Jia Goh ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundFalls in older adults is a common problem worldwide. Fear of falling (FoF) is a consequence of falls which has far-reaching implications including activity restriction, functional decline and reduced quality of life. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with FoF in a segment of Singapore’s community-dwelling older adults. MethodsThis descriptive cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of adults aged 65 and above from 4 primary care clinics from September 2020 to March 2021. Data were collected on demographic factors and clinical factors including history of falls and frailty as determined by the Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS). FoF was measured using the Short Falls Efficacy Scale–International (Short FES-I), cut-off score of 14 and above indicated high FoF. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors of high FoF.ResultsOut of 360 older adults, 78.1% were Chinese and 59.7% females. The mean age was 78.3 years and 76 (21.1%) had a history of falls in the past six months. Almost half (43.1%) were mildly to moderately frail and most (80.6%) had three or more chronic conditions. The mean FoF score was 15.5 (SD 5.97) and 60.8% reported high FoF. Logistic regression found that Malay ethnicity (OR = 5.81, 95% CI 1.77 – 19.13), use of walking aids (OR = 3.67, 95% CI = 1.54 – 8.77) and increasing frailty were significant predictors for high FoF. The odds of high FoF were significantly higher in pre frail older adults (OR = 6.87, 95% CI = 2.66 – 17.37), mildly frail older adults (OR =18.58, 95% CI = 4.88 – 70.34) and moderately frail older adults (OR = 144.78, 95% CI = 13.86 – 1512.60).ConclusionsFoF is a prevalent and compelling issue in community-dwelling older adults, particularly those with frailty. The demographic and clinical factors identified in this study will be helpful to develop targeted and tailored interventions for FoF.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65
Author(s):  
Giulia Rivasi ◽  
Rose Anne Kenny ◽  
Andrea Ungar ◽  
Roman Romero-Ortuno

Abstract Background Older people taking benzodiazepines (BDZs) have higher risk of falling, which is mainly attributed to unfavorable drug-related effects on cognition and psychomotor functioning. BDZs may also have hypotensive effects, but evidence concerning the relationship between BDZs and orthostatic blood pressure (BP) behaviour in older people is scarce. We investigated the effects of BDZs on BP response to an orthostatic active stand test. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of data from an outpatient research clinic in an Irish university hospital, where people aged 60 or older underwent a comprehensive geriatric assessment between August 2007 and May 2009. Non-invasive beat-to-beat orthostatic BP was measured during active stand, with systolic BP assessed at each 10-second interval. Information on regular BDZs use was collected. Factors independently associated with orthostatic systolic BP were investigated using multiple linear regression. Results Of 624 community-dwelling people who underwent a clinic assessment, orthostatic active stand data was collected in 541. Information on regular BDZs use was available in 538 people. Of 538 participants, mean age was 72.7±7.2, 67.7% were female and 33 (6.1%) reported regular use of BDZs. History of falls (p=0.027) and fear of falling (p<0.001) were more prevalent in this subgroup. During active stand, participants on BDZs showed a significantly greater systolic BP drop 10 seconds after the posture change (“immediate” BP drop). No significant differences were detected in orthostatic systolic BP in the latter phases of the active stand. After adjusting for possible confounders, BDZs use was independently associated with a mean immediate systolic BP drop of 12 mmHg after standing. Conclusion BDZs may confer higher risk of an immediate systolic BP drop after standing in older people, which may contribute to their known falls risk. BDZ should be avoided in older people at risk of falling.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werayuth Srithum ◽  
Mai Kabayama ◽  
Yasuyuki Gondo ◽  
Yukie Masui ◽  
Yuya Akagi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Cognitive impairment is a major health concern among older and oldest people.Moreover, stroke is a relevant contributor for cognitive decline and development of dementia. The study of cognitive decline focused on stroke as the important risk factor by recruiting older and oldest is still lagging behind. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the importance of stroke as a risk factor of cognitive decline during three years in community dwelling older and oldest people. Methods: This study was longitudinal study with a 3-year follow-up in Japan. The participants were 1,333community dwelling older and oldest people (70 years old = 675, 80 years old = 589, and 90 years old = 69). Data collected included basic data (age, sex, and history of stroke), vascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and current smoking), and social factors (educational level, frequency of going outdoors, long-term care (LTC) service used, and residential area). The Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) was decline of ≥ 2 points was defined as cognitive decline. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between stroke and other risk factors with cognitive decline during a 3-year follow-up. Results: The fit of the hypothesized model by multiple logistic regression showed that a history of stroke, advanced age, and greater MoCA-J score at the baseline were important risk factors, while the presence of dyslipidemia and a higher educational level were protective factors that were significantly correlated with cognitive decline during the 3-year follow-up. Conclusions: The cognitive decline after the 3-year follow-up was influenced by the history of stroke and advanced age, while greater MoCA-J score at the baseline was positively associated with subsequent 3 years cognitive decline. The protective factors were the presence of dyslipidemia and a higher educational level. Therefore, these factors are considered important and should be taken into consideration when searching for creative solutions to prevent cognitive decline after stroke in community dwelling older and oldest people.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Werayuth Srithum ◽  
Mai Kabayama ◽  
Yasuyuki Gondo ◽  
Yukie Masui ◽  
Yuya Akagi ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Increasing in the older people and a decline in mortality after stroke, the rate of post-stroke cognitive decline has increased. The relationship between risk factors and post-stroke cognitive decline in dwelling old and oldest people who living in the community especially with asymptomatic stroke have to be elucidated. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the association between stroke and cognitive decline during three years in community dwelling older and oldest people.Methods This study was longitudinal study with a 3-year follow-up in urban and rural areas of Japan. The participants were 1,333 community dwelling older and oldest people (70 years old = 675, 80 years old = 589, and 90 years old = 69). Data collected included basic data (age, sex, and history of stroke), vascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia, atrial fibrillation, and current smoking), and social factors (educational level, frequency of going outdoors, and long-term care (LTC) service used). The Japanese version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-J) was used for cognitive assessment, and a decline of ≥ 2 points was defined as cognitive decline. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between stroke and other risk factors with cognitive decline during a 3-year follow-up.Results Rates of cognitive decline increased in advanced ages, equaling 33.3, 39.4, and 66.7% in those aged 70, 80, and 90 years old, respectively. The fit of the hypothesized model by multiple logistic regression showed that a history of stroke, advanced age, and greater MoCA-J score at the baseline were important risk factors, while the presence of dyslipidemia and a higher educational level were protective factors that were significantly correlated with cognitive decline during the 3-year follow-up.Conclusions The cognitive decline after the 3-year follow-up was influenced by the history of stroke, advanced age, and greater MoCA-J score at the baseline, but protective factors were the presence of dyslipidemia and a higher educational level. Therefore, these factors are considered important and should be taken into consideration when searching for creative solutions to prevent cognitive decline after stroke in community dwelling older and oldest people.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S473-S473
Author(s):  
Pey June Tan ◽  
Reuben Ng ◽  
Angelique Chan ◽  
Jagadish U Mallya ◽  
Noor Hafizah Ismail ◽  
...  

Abstract Fear-of-falling (FOF) can be adaptive or maladaptive depending on one’s appraisal of knowledge and beliefs, but few have elucidated this cognitive process in older adults surrounding falls. We aim to identify risk factors for high FOF amongst community-dwelling older adults (OA) and middle-aged adults (MA) in Singapore. This was a cross-sectional survey of a nationally-representative sample of OA (≥60 years) and MA (40-59 years) identified by stratified random sampling. Primary outcome was high FOF measured by a single-item (4-point scale). Independent variables were history-of-falls, quality-of-life, fall-related cognitive appraisal (balance problems, importance to restrict activities to prevent falls) and knowledge indicators (knowledge of other OA who fell, ability to identify out of 13 fall risk factors). MA were also asked if they’re caregivers. Multiple logistic regressions identified risk factors for high FOF separately by age-groups, adjusting for socio-demographics and comorbidities. The final analysis included 549 OA (70.6±6.88 years) and 309 MA (49.7±5.89 years). No differences in high FOF was found among OA and MA (37% vs. 38%, p=0.305), but there were more falls among OA (19% vs 12%, p=0.010). Higher knowledge of fall risk factors and self-reported balance problems were significant risk factors for high FOF among OA only, while a history-of-falls and being a caregiver were significant among MA only. Perceived importance to restrict activities was associated with high FOF in both age-groups. Although findings suggest differences in the mechanism of high FOF between OA and MA, both age-groups have maladaptive appraisal tendencies related to restrict activities to prevent falls.


2012 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Astrid Bergland

Falls are a common and serious problem for older adults. Approximately one-third of older communitydwelling people fall at least once a year. The main purpose of this paper is to present risk factors for fall in older people living at home. The databases used for identifying documentation of risk factors are Cinahl, Eric, ISI Web of Science, Cochrane Medline, Psycinfo and dissertation. Many psychosocial and medical conditions and impairment of sensorimotor function, balance and gait have been shown in large epidemiological studies to be strongly associated with falls. Several of the risk factors are interrelated. The intrinsic-extrinsic distinction seem to be an oversimplification. A better understanding of falls is usually obtained when examining the person in association with the environmental factors. Advanced age, history of falls, ADL limitations, impaired gait and mobility, visual impairment, reduced sensation, muscular weakness, poor reaction time, impaired cognition, diseases as stroke, use of psychoactive medication and use of many medications are risk factors shown to be strongly associated with falls. This means recommendation of multifactorial fall risk assessment must incorporate a range of physiological and mental tests in addition to assessing balance and gait as well as taking multiple chronic diseases and medications into account. These finding underscore the importance of multidimensional fall intervention with special focus on modifiable risk factors


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