<b>Comparing the risk of falls between rural and urban elderly

Abstract

The aim of this study was to compare the risk of falls and characterize them in the urban and rural elderly. Observational study with elderly from urban and rural areas in the interior of the State of Rio Grande do Sul, evaluated by the Fall Risk Score and further criteria for the evaluation and characterization of the last fall within 12 months. A total of 125 elderly, 89 urban and 36 rural was evaluated. There was a high prevalence of medication use (93.6%), impaired vision (35.2%) and previous falls (81.6%) in the total sample of individuals as well as the risk of falls (76.8%) without differences between the groups. The variables of statistical significance were impaired hearing (p = 0.009) and impairment of the lower limbs (p = 0.04). Both the elderly living in rural areas and in urban areas showed high risk for falls in the group studied, with no significant difference between them. Thus, it is worth highlighting the importance of making a health work for guidance on falls.

Basic mobility, accidental falls, and lifetime physical activity among rural and urban community-dwelling older adults: a population-based study in Northern Iceland

“…Compared to both gender and age-group, participants’ residence was more frequently associated with indicators of late-life physical functioning and lifetime PA history. While our findings of a higher frequency of falls among older people in rural areas supports other research results [ 35 ], this also contradicts findings in which residence was not associated with falls [ 36 ]. A better basic mobility in the younger-old group than the older-old group, is widely known and reflected in published reference values for TUG [ 37 ].…”

Condições visuais autorrelatadas e quedas em idosos rurais: um estudo de base censitária/ Self-reported visual conditions and falls in rural elderly: a census-based study

“…A frequência de quedas entre os idosos estudados foi semelhante à constatada entre idosos rurais do Japão 8 e acentuadamente inferior à apurada em pesquisas no Brazilian Journal of Health Review, Curitiba, v.4, n.1, p.3960-3977 jan./feb. 2021 Brasil 12,13,24,27 e na Europa 16,17 . As quedas são eventos frequentes entre idosos nos diferentes contextos.…”

“…Entre os que sofreram queda no último ano, 21,0% referiram problemas de visão e, dentre esses, 19,4% faziam uso de óculos ou lentes de contato para enxergar. Estudos realizados com idosos da comunidade nas diferentes regiões do Brasil, indicam prevalências de déficit visual de 24,4% até 66,2% entre os que sofreram quedas, entretanto, nenhum desses estudos encontrou associação entre problemas visuais e quedas 13,24,27 . No meio rural, os riscos podem estar nas condições do terreno e das estradas, com frequência sem pavimentação, com pedras soltas e desníveis.…”

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

“…Due to the integrity of individuals' culture in rural areas, older people receive higher social support from family, neighbors, or friends, i.e., effective in improving their wellbeing and physical health, resulting in better cognitive function and mental wellbeing; consequently, such conditions reduce fear of falling in the elderly living in villages [12]. Arruda addressed no difference in the risk of falls between urban-and rural-living elderly [31].…”