Association between a hilly neighborhood environment and falls among rural older adults: a cross-sectional study

Association between changes in depressive symptoms and falls: The China health and retirement longitudinal study (CHARLS)

PURPOSE

This study aimed to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms and changes in depressive status on falls among middle-aged and older population in China.

METHODS

We used two waves of interview data (time 1 [T1] and time 2 [T2], 2 years from T1) from a nationally representative sample of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), which included a total of 14,356 participants (male 6859; mean age: 59.5 ± 9.3 years). Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item short form of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D-10). Participants were categorized into four groups based on changes in their CES-D-10 scores over a 2-year follow-up period. Self-reported falls were evaluated, and logistic regression models and restricted cubic splines (RCS) were employed to examine the relationship between depressive symptoms and fallen.

RESULTS

Participants who had experienced falls had higher CES-D-10 scores and were more likely to have depressive symptoms. Depressive symptoms at T1 were significantly associated with falls during the follow-up period. After adjusting for covariables, increasing CES-D-10 scores were associated with higher adjusted odds ratios (ORs) for falling prevalence: 1.230 (95 % CI, 1.041-1.453), 1.579 (95 % CI, 1.331-1.873), 1.745 (95 % CI, 1.472-2.070), and 2.366 (95 % CI, 1.972-2.838). Participants who experienced depressive symptoms at either T1 or T2, as well as those with persistent depressive symptoms from T1 to T2, were both at higher risk for future falls. The worsening of depressive symptoms significantly increased the likelihood of falls.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed a significant association between depressive symptoms and changes in depressive status with subsequent falls in older adults. The heightened fall risk among individuals with depressive symptoms underscores the importance of addressing mental health as an integral part of comprehensive fall prevention strategies.

The risk of falls among the aging population: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim

This study aims to clarify the risk factors for falls to prevent severe consequences in older adults.

Methods

We searched the PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Google Scholar databases using the terms "risk factors" OR "predicting factors" OR "predictor" AND "fall" OR "drop" to identify all relevant studies and compare their results. The study participants were divided into two groups, the "fall group" and the "control group", and differences in demographic characteristics, lifestyles, and comorbidities were compared.

Results

We included 34 articles in the analysis and analyzed 22 factors. Older age, lower education level, polypharmacy, malnutrition, living alone, living in an urban area, smoking, and alcohol consumption increased the risk of falls in the aging population. Additionally, comorbidities such as cardiac disease, hypertension, diabetes, stroke, frailty, previous history of falls, depression, Parkinson's disease, and pain increased the risk of falls.

Conclusion

Demographic characteristics, comorbidities, and lifestyle factors can influence the risk of falls and should be taken into consideration.