Fall Risk Assessment of Rural Elderly Population in Korea

Abstract

Objective To investigate the risk factors for fall in the elderly population residing in rural areas of Korea and provide useful data for their prevention. Methods As part of farmers’ health promotion project, a retrospective study was conducted with a total of 350 elderly people recruited from March 2016 to December 2016. These subjects were divided into two groups: 254 non-fallers and 96 fallers. A person who fell to the floor at least once in the past year was defined as a faller. Participants were asked to visit the hospital once. The demographic characteristics, social environment, and educational levels were surveyed using a questionnaire. Physical examination was performed in the following order: cognitive function, lower leg strength and torque, body composition, and knee image test. Results Statistically significant factors for falls in univariate analysis were female gender, age, living alone, educational level less than middle school, skeletal muscle mass, Mini-Mental State Exam, knee osteoarthritis, hip torque, hip power mean, knee torque, and knee power mean. Multivariate analysis was performed to identify variables most relevant to falls among statistically significant factors in univariate logistic analysis. It was confirmed that female gender and age of 70–79 years were statistically significant factors related to falls. Conclusion Female gender and elderly status (70–79 years) are important risk factors for falls in rural areas underscoring the need for special attention when considering risk factors for falls among the elderly living in rural areas.

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Fall among Rural Elderly: A County-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

“…A large number of studies showed that aging is a risk factor for falls. However, the current study found that aging is not a nonlinear correlation risk factor for falls, similar to some previous reports [ 22 , 23 ]. This study showed that the tendency to fall increases with age before 85 years, and then the risk declines at >85 years of age.…”

“…Some studies focused on urban-dwelling elderly reporting that the frequency of falls increases with age, which is not observed in rural areas. A few studies reported that age is not a risk factor for falls, and younger elderly (60–69 years old) suffered more falls and exhibited statistically significant factors related to falls [ 22 ], while another report deemed this feature more probable in the 70–79-year-old age group [ 23 ]. Tripping was the most common cause of a fall in the community [ 24 ].…”

Building and validating an educational video for elderly individuals about fall risks

“…considering the higher prevalence of falls in women. older and among those with chronic diseases (23) . As these are non-modifiable conditions.…”

Fall characteristics among elderly populations in urban and rural areas in Korea

“…Falling incidence and fall-related cost in rural elderly population has been studied but separately from urban populations. [ 11 , 12 ] A study by Park et al [ 13 ] about rural region revealed that female gender and older age are risk factors for fall. In a study using data from 16,393 people over 65 in China, Zhang et al [ 14 ] compared the fall characteristics of rural and urban areas.…”