Risk factors of repeated falls in the community dwelling old people

Effects of falls on self-rated health and anxiety in Chinese older persons with chronic multimorbidity : moderating role of psychological resilience

INTRODUCTION

This study investigated the effects of falls on self-rated health and anxiety symptoms and the moderating role of psychological resilience in Chinese older persons with chronic multimorbidity.

METHODS

Data were taken from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). We used a linear regression model to evaluate the associations among falls and self-rated health and anxiety symptoms, the moderating role of psychological resilience was verified by moderation analysis, and we also used a replacement model to test robustness. Finally, the results of the study were further verified via heterogeneity analysis through subgroup regression.

RESULTS

A total of 2933 people aged 60 years or older with chronic multimorbidity were included in our study. The linear regression results revealed that falls were significantly negatively correlated with the self-rated health symptoms of older Chinese people with chronic multimorbidity (β = -0.1703, p < 0.01) and significantly positively correlated with anxiety symptoms (β = 0.5590, p < 0.01). Among the moderating effects, we found that psychological resilience played a moderating role between falls and anxiety symptoms (β = - 0.151 [-0.217, -0.084], p < 0.01). Finally, we found heterogeneity in the study results by sex, residence and number of chronic diseases.

CONCLUSION

Falls are associated with poorer self-rated health and higher anxiety levels among older persons with chronic multimorbidity in China. High levels of psychological resilience have a moderating effect on the development of anxiety symptoms.

Fall Risk Prediction for Community-Dwelling Older Adults: Analysis of Assessment Scale and Evaluation Items without Actual Measurement

The frequency of falls increases with age. In Japan, the population is aging rapidly, and fall prevention measures are an urgent issue. However, assessing fall risk during the coronavirus disease pandemic was complicated by the social distancing measures implemented to prevent the disease, while traditional assessments that involve actual measurements are complicated. This prospective cohort study predicted the risk of falls in community-dwelling older adults using an assessment method that does not require actual measurements. A survey was conducted among 434 community-dwelling older adults to obtain data regarding baseline attributes (age, sex, living with family, use of long-term care insurance, and multimorbidity), Frailty Screening Index (FSI) score, and Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old (QMCOO) score. The participants were categorized into fall (n = 78) and non-fall (n = 356) groups. The binomial logistic regression analysis showed that it is better to focus on the QMCOO sub-item score, which focuses on multiple factors. The items significantly associated with falls were Q5 (odds ratio [OR] 1.95), Q8 (OR 2.33), and Q10 (OR 3.68). Our results were similar to common risk factors for falls in normal times. During the pandemic, being able to gauge the risk factors for falls without actually measuring them was important.

The geographic environment and the frequency of falling: a study of mortality outcomes in elderly people in China

Falling has become the first and second cause of death due to injury among urban and rural residents in China. This mortality is considerably higher in the southern part of the country than in the North. We collected the rate of mortality due to falling for 2013 and 2017 by province, age structure and population density, taking topography, precipitation and temperature into account. 2013 was used as the first year of the study since this year marks the expansion of the mortality surveillance system from 161 counties to 605 counties making available data more representative. A geographically weighted regression was used to evaluate the relationship between mortality and the geographic risk factors. High levels of precipitation, steep topography and uneven land surfaces as well as a higher quantile of the population aged above 80 years in southern China are believed to have led to the significantly higher number of falling compared with that in the North. Indeed, when evaluated by geographically weighted regression, the factors mentioned found a difference between the South and the North with regard to falling of 81% and 76% for the years 2013 and 2017, respectively. Interaction effects were observed between geographic risk factors and falling that, apart from the age factor, could be explained by topographic and climatic differences. The roads in the South are more difficult to negotiate on foot, particularly when it rains, which increases the probability of falling. In summary, the higher mortality due to falling in southern China emphasizes the need to apply more adaptive and effective measures in rainy and mountainous region to reduce this kind of risk.

Assessment of self-reported practice of nurses towards fall prevention and its associated factors in an Ethiopian hospital; cross-sectional study

BACK GROUND

Falls are a frequent, serious, and increasing public health issues that can significantly change the patients' level of functioning and quality of life. Nurses are at the front position in the efforts to prevent hospital falls. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to assess the level of nurses' practice on prevention of falls and its associated factors.

METHOD

An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted among 371 nurses. Data were collected using pretested and self administered English version questionnaire. EPI info version 3.5.3 was used for data entry and SPSS version 20 for analysis. Binary and multiple logistic regression models were fitted to identify associated factors. An adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was computed.

RESULT

Overall, 44% of the participants have good practice regarding falls prevention. Educational qualification [bachelor (AOR = 1.9, CI: 1.11, 3.46), master (AOR = 3.2, CI: 1.83, 5.68)], work experience (AOR = 1.92, CI: 1.25, 3.41), number of falls experienced [2 falls (AOR = 2.82, CI: 1.44, 4.52), ≥3 falls (AOR = 3.52, CI: 3.11, 5.76)] and fall prevention education (AOR = 3, CI: 1.43, 5.21) were significantly associated with practice of fall prevention.

CONCLUSION

Practice of the nurses regarding prevention of falls was found to be inadequate. Having higher educational status, being more experienced, having previous experience of patient fall and education about falls prevention were positively associated with fall prevention practice of nurses. Developing educational programs that include fall prevention through the academic curriculum and continuing educational programs are some of the steps to improve nurse's practice regarding prevention of falls.

The association between falls and anxiety among elderly Chinese individuals: The mediating roles of functional ability and social participation

BACKGROUND

Elderly individuals who experience falls suffer from higher levels of anxiety because of physical or mental injury. This study examined the association between falls and anxiety among elderly Chinese individuals. It also explored the mediating roles of functional ability and social participation in the link between falls and anxiety.

METHODS

The analytical sample included 8233 elderly people aged 60 and above, and prospective data were obtained from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS). Anxiety was evaluated by a 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale, and falls were determined by self-report. The association between falls and anxiety was assessed by linear regression. Mediation analysis was used to explore the potential mediating roles of functional ability and social participation on the association between falls and anxiety.

RESULTS

Suffering falls predicted higher anxiety levels among elderly individuals (B = 0.608, 95% CI: 0.471, 0.746). Functional ability and social participation play partial mediating roles in the association between falls and anxiety, and the mediating effects were 0.036 (95% CI: 0.020, 0.058) and 0.005 (95% CI: 0.003, 0.014), respectively. The serial mediating effect of functional ability and social participation on the association between falls and anxiety was 0.003 (95% CI: 0.002, 0.005).

LIMITATIONS

This study is based upon cross-sectional data, which limit inferring causality.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggests that policy-makers should explore how to encourage elderly individuals who experience falls to restore functional ability and participate in appropriate social activities to alleviate anxiety.

History of Falls, Dementia, Lower Education Levels, Mobility Limitations, and Aging Are Risk Factors for Falls among the Community-Dwelling Elderly: A Cohort Study

Background: Falling is a serious issue among elderly community dwellers, often resulting in disability. We aimed to investigate the risk factors for falls among elderly community dwellers. Methods: We recruited 232 participants from multiple community learning and care centers, who provided their information through questionnaires. They were divided into two groups, according to their falling events after a 1-year follow-up. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 64 participants reported a fall at the 1-year follow-up. The falling group comprised older and single people with lower education levels, higher rates of dementia, a history of falls, lower scores on the Mini-Mental State Examination, and more disability functions when compared to the non-falling group (all p < 0.05). The regression model showed that a history of falls (OR: 62.011; p < 0.0001), lower education levels (OR: 4.088; p = 0.039), mild dementia (OR: 20.729; p = 0.028), older age (OR: 1.176; p < 0.0001), walking for 300 m (OR: 4.153; p = 0.030), and running for 30 m (OR: 3.402; p = 0.015) were 1-year risk factors for falls. Conclusion: A history of falling, low education levels, aging, mild dementia, and certain mobility limitations were strong risk factors for future falling accidents in elderly Taiwanese community dwellers.