Mobility and Muscle Strength Together are More Strongly Correlated with Falls in Suburb-Dwelling Older Chinese

Abstract

Falls are common in older adults and result in adverse outcomes. Impaired mobility and poor muscle strength have been consistently identified as the main contributors to falls. We choose three easy-to-perform tests (i.e. Timed Up and Go test (TUGT), walking speed (WS) and grip strength (GS)) in order to assess mobility and muscle strength to further define their relationship with falls. This study is cross-sectional, consisting of 1092 residents over 60-year-old; 589 were female. 204 (18.68%) participants reported falling at least once in the past year. It was found that, of the three tests evaluated independently, a TUGT < 9.1750 s had the strongest association with fewer falls. When evaluating these tests as pairs, the combination of a TUGT < 9.1750 s and a WS < 0.9963 m/s was the best protective indicator of falls after adjusting for age, sex and other variables. When evaluating all three tests in conjunction with each other, the combination of a TUGT < 9.1750 s, a WS < 0.9963 m/s, and a GS > 0.3816 was most correlated with less possibility of falls. The combination of a better TUGT performance, a stronger GS, and a slower WS is the most strongly correlated with less possibility of falls.

Isometric strength vs. functional mobility and their relationship with risk of falls in community-dwelling older adults: a prospective study

“…Previous studies have also reported differences between fallers and non-fallers in terms of handgrip strength [21][22][23]. Combined, these results do support the use of handgrip strength assessments as a simple screening tool in clinical practice, although its combination with other measures (e.g., functional mobility tests) could enhance predictive accuracy [34].…”

The effect of primary total knee arthroplasty on the incidence of falls and balance-related functions in patients with osteoarthritis

“…Deficits in muscular function are consistently reported in patients with knee OA and in patients who undergo knee arthroplasty 6 , 42 – 45 . Knee pain and quadriceps weakness affect the sensory and mechanical functions of the joint, and these factors are associated with increased postural sway 44 – 47 , which results in balance difficulties and increased risk of falls 48 , 49 .…”

“…Balance is a complex function that requires the integration of sensory information of the position of the body and the ability to make proper motor responses to body movement 3 . Balance is essential for maintaining postural stability while performing daily activities 4 , and loss of balance is a common cause of falls in older people 5 , 6 .…”

Quantitative analysis of skeletal muscle by computed tomography imaging—State of the art

“…In particular, progress remains limited for the prediction whether an individual will sustain a hip fracture within the next 5 or 10 years. In contrast to vertebral fractures, almost all osteoporotic hip fractures are caused by a fall, which is associated with muscle strength [95] , [96] , [97] , [98] . Age-related loss of skeletal muscle mass is associated with the loss of bone mass [99] , [100] , and low muscle attenuation is associated with obesity and impaired muscle function [101] .…”