Prevalence of falls and associated factors in community-dwelling older Brazilians: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Falls determine huge epidemiological, clinical, and economic burden in the older population worldwide, presenting high odds of severe disability. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence of falls and associated factors in older Brazilians using a systematic review with meta-analysis. Searches were performed in SciELO, PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus and PsycINFO databases with no date or language restrictions. Studies on community-dwelling older persons aged ≥ 60 years from both sexes and with a sample size of ≥ 300 participants included. Exclusion criteria were studies conducted specifically for older adults diagnosed with chronic disabling diseases that predispose them to falls. Risk of bias of included studies was assessed using a critical appraisal tool focusing on prevalence designs. A random-effects meta-analysis was used to pool the prevalence of falls across studies. Exploratory analysis was conducted examining subgroup estimates, prevalence ratios and meta-regression. Thirty-seven studies involving 58,597 participants were included. Twelve-month prevalence of falls was 27% (95%CI: 24.3-30.0), with significantly higher estimates in female than male (PR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.32-1.86), in age group ≥ 80 years than age group 60-69 years (PR = 1.46; 95%CI: 1.15-1.84), and in participants from the Central region than participants from the South region (PR = 1.36; 95%CI: 1.10-1.69) of Brazil. Risk of bias scores did not impact heterogeneity in the 12-month meta-analysis. These estimates strongly support evidence-based public interventions to prevent falls in older Brazilians, especially in women and the oldest-old population.

Maxillofacial trauma due to traffic accidents and falls: an exploratory study of associated factors

“…This seven-year exploratory study showed that traffic accidents are the main etiological agent of MFT, followed by falls, similar to what has been reported in other studies ( 2 , 3 , 5 - 8 , 13 - 24 ). Traffic accidents and falls are two of the leading causes of trauma worldwide, including MFT ( 1 , 5 , 7 , 9 - 11 ).…”

“…Falls were the most prevalent cause of MFT in patients older than 41 years of age and especially those older than 61 years of age ( 1 , 5 , 9 , 11 , 23 ). The increased longevity of the population may lead to more severe repercussions on motor and sensory functions, such as the gait pattern, dynamic and semi-static postural control and balance, as well as a series of changes in physiological factors (e.g., obesity, decreased bone density, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s disease), coupled with the fact that patients in this age group have poorer reflexes ( 5 , 10 , 20 , 24 ).…”

Sarcopenia and Physical Activity Predict Falls in Older Adults from Amazonas, Brazil (La sarcopenia y la actividad física predicen caídas en adultos mayores de Amazonas, Brasil)

“…In addition, as expected, women, the oldest people, and people with low physical activity levels had a significant increase risk of falling. The prevalence of falls in this sample (32%) was lower than other reported in other regions of Brazil (Ceará, 44%; Borges, 2019) and Portugal (36%; Gouveia et al, 2017), but higher than those reported in the Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil (29%) and those reported in a systematic review and meta-analysis including the Central region of Brazil (27%;Elias Filho et al, 2019). The results of the present study partly corroborate the estimates presented by the World Health Organization (WHO), 28-35% of people aged 65 and 32-42% for those over 70 years of age (WHO, 2007).…”

Late-life falling and depressive symptoms associated with the risk of Parkinson’s disease: a nationwide cohort data analysis

“…The present study demonstrated an appreciably lower percentage (6.7%) of falls in the past six months than that (27%) of the twelve-month prevalence of falls in a recent meta-analysis, and the falling was even more prevalent in older ages [ 20 ]. The estimated pooled prevalence of depression was 34.4% in India from a meta-analysis [ 21 ], whereas our findings revealed a relatively lower incidence (12.6%) of depressive symptoms in our population.…”