Preliminary evaluation of the prevalence of falls, pain and urinary incontinence in remote living Indigenous Australians over the age of 45 years

Abstract

Falls, urinary incontinence and pain are common and reported for the first time in older indigenous people living in remote regions. The presence of these syndromes in ages over 45 may be due to accumulation of health insults during the life course.

Falls risk assessment outcomes and factors associated with falls for older Indigenous Australians

“…F alls among older Australians are the leading cause of injury‐related hospitalisations 1 . Recent research in the Kimberley region of Western Australia reported that 31% of Aboriginal Australians aged >45 years fell at least once in the previous year, and 12% reported injuries associated with falls 2 . Falls‐related hospitalisations and associated head injuries data in the older Australian population show falls contributed to 81.4% of all injuries, and Indigenous Australians had 1.7 times the rate of head injuries compared to non‐Indigenous persons 3 .…”

The health of older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

“…For example, utilising data from the Kimberley cohort, a frailty index was utilised comprising 20 health‐related items and demonstrated that over half the population could be considered frail, including at a younger age, and was associated with mortality . In addition, utilising adapted screening tools for falls and mobility, pain and continence in representative sample of 184 adults over 45 years 33% had fallen in the last year, 56% described poor mobility, 17% were in constant pain, 40% were incontinent of urine, 43% had poor vision and 20% poor hearing and one‐third described sustaining a head injury at some time of their life . Further analysis of these data is underway, but highlights the potential significance of these conditions.…”

“…Australia and New Zealand have undertaken significant landmark studies that have demonstrated alarmingly high prevalence and incidence rates of dementia of up to 3–4 times those of the wider community of Australians, occurring at a younger age (typically 10–15 years earlier) in both urban and rural regions . In addition, frailty and falls appear common .…”

Health needs of older Aboriginal people in Taiwan: a community‐based assessment using a multidimensional instrument

“…, LoGiudice et al . ). To provide culturally appropriate services in terms of community care and support for Indigenous people, families and communities, understanding and addressing Aboriginal people's unmet health needs is essential (Smith et al .…”

“…, LoGiudice et al . ); disability rates among Aboriginal adults were higher than that among the total Canadian population, which was 31% vs. 13% (Ng ); and there were higher rates of hospitalisation and mortality for mental health illness (Smith et al . , LoGiudice et al .…”