Falls among older adults in the South of Brazil: prevalence and determinants

Abstract

OBJECTIVE Evaluate the prevalence and the factors associated with the occurrence of falls among older adults.METHODS A cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 1,451 elderly residents in the urban area of Pelotas, RS, in 2014. A descriptive analysis of the data was performed and the prevalence of falls in the last year was presented. The analysis of demographic, socioeconomic, behavioral and health factors associated with the outcome was performed using Poisson regression with adjustment for robust variance according to the hierarchical model. The variables were adjusted to each other within each level and for the higher level. Those with p ≤ 0.20 were maintained in the model for confounding control and those with p < 0.05 were considered to be associated with the outcome.RESULTS The prevalence of falls among older adults in the last year was 28.1% (95%CI 25.9–30.5), and most occurred in the person’s own residence. Among the older adults who fell, 51.5% (95%CI 46.6–56.4) had a single fall and 12.1% (95%CI 8.9–15.3) had a fracture as a consequence, usually in the lower limbs. The prevalence of falls was higher in women, adults of advanced age, with lower income and schooling level, with functional incapacity for instrumental activities, and patients with diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis.CONCLUSIONS The occurrence of falls reached almost a third of the older adults, and the prevalence was higher in specific segments of the population in question. About 12% of the older adults who fell fractured some bone. The factors associated with the occurrence of falls identified in this study may guide measures aimed at prevention in the older adult population.

Association of functional capacity with risk of falling in the older adults in emergency service

“…Regarding the functionality evaluated by the Katz and Lawton and Brody Scales in this study, the independent elderly people to perform daily life activities had the lowest percentage of caregiver presence, while the most dependent had a higher percentage. It is known that the lower the functionality of the elderly, the greater the need for care, with multiple tasks, on a frequent basis, often requiring the total dedication of the caregiver (12) , especially if the older person present some type of dementia, as observed in this study.…”

“…The impairment of the functional capacity of individuals over 60 years old directly affects the quality of life, as well as simultaneously reaching the family, the community and the health system in which it is inserted. It is observed that the greater the difficulty in performing the basic activities of daily living, the more dependent this elderly is (12) .…”

“…In a study carried out in a long-term institution, it was observed that older people with greater dependence to perform basic activities also had urinary incontinence, this fact is also due to the difficulty in reaching the desired place in a timely manner and not only because they are incontinent in fact (15) . Also, urinary incontinence is considered a predictor of falls in the elderly population, which may be related to the greater frequency of toilet visits to urinate, increasing the risk of falls (12,16) .…”

Avaliação da regulação sensorial do equilíbrio corporal e risco de queda de mulheres adultas e idosas fisicamente ativas

“…Em relação ao autorrelato de quedas, a maior frequência foi observada entre o grupo das idosas. O fato corrobora com a literatura especializada 33 . Por outro lado, observou-se também que 1/3 do grupo de mulheres adultas mostraram histórico de queda.…”

Falls and associated factors among elderly users of Primary Healthcare Services

“…Considering that many elderly individuals live in non-adapted houses 4,5 , falls may occur, at least in part, due to extrinsic factors such as poor illumination, slippery floor, lack of stair handrail, uneven ground, obstacles inside the house, tall mattress or bed high off the ground, and loose carpets [6][7] . Nevertheless, the incidence of falls among the elderly is also associated with illnesses such as cerebrovascular accident, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, depressive symptoms and arthritis 5,8 . Other causes include improper footwear, use of excessively long clothes, alcohol consumption, and use of medications [9][10][11][12] .…”