Factors Associated with history of Fall among Elderly people in Southern West Bank

Abstract

Background Elderly men and women have higher risk of fall due to various factors including malnutrition, decreased muscle mass, decreased functional capacity, cognitive impairment and depression. Among Palestinian older adults fall history yet to be studied in term of prevalence and correlates. Objective The primary objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of fall and the differences in fallers and non-fallers among a group of Palestinian elderly living in rural areas in Southern West Bank region of Hebron. Methods The study included 142 participants from two villages: Se'ar and Bani Na'em , Hebron governance. Demographic variables and fall history was collected by a pre-tested structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurement were used to assess nutritional status; physical function was assessed by activity of daily living and instrumental activity of daily living, level of fitness was assessed using senior fitness test. Geriatric scale for depression was used to assess depression and Montreal cognitive assessment test was used to evaluate mild cognitive impairment. Results : 51.7% of study participants were females, the mean age 69.5± 5.7 years old. Positive fall history was present among 11.7% mostly females. Significant relationship with fall was found with larger waist and hip circumference, cognitive impairment, higher level of dependency and slower performance in time up and go (TUG) p<0.05. Conclusion Fall history has considerable prevalence among the study sample and it is correlated with nutritional status, cognitive and physical function. The findings of the study recommend educational and intervention programs to enhance the nutritional status, physical fitness and cognitive function among Palestinian elderly. Further research are needed to determine the risk factors of fall utilizing longitudinal study design and intervention studies to optimize intervention model to enhance the health status and decrease the risk of fall.

Relationship Between Fear of Falling, Mental Wellbeing, and Depression in the Elderly With Cardiovascular Disease: A Predictive Study

“…Moreover, the rate of fear of falling was higher among women than men. Our study findings were consistent with those of Natour et al [26] and Malini and associates [27]. This may be due to women generating more chronic diseases, musculoskeletal problems, as well as anatomical and biopsychological gender differences [28].…”