Assessment of risk of falls in elderly living at home

cross-sectional and quantitative study with 240 elderly. Data were collected based on the social profile, through the instrument of risk of falls and assessment of falls, by univariate analysis, bivariate and multiple logistic regression. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 19 was used for statistical analysis.

Results:

there was a significant association of the risk of falls, as measured by the Fall Risk Score, with sex (<0.001), age (0.054), cognitive status (<0.001) and history of falls (<0.001). All variables were statistically significant and contributed to the occurrence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that showed association with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, hypertension and visual impairment.

Conclusion:

female gender, older elderly (over 80 years old), with low cognitive status and occurrence of previous falls in the last six months are factors that increase the prevalence of falls. In logistic regression, the variables that were associated with risk of falls were: fall, with whom they live, visual impairment and rheumatologic diseases.

Descriptors:
Elderly; Accidental Falls; Risk

Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto / Universidade de São Paulo Av. Bandeirantes, 3900, 14040-902 Ribeirão Preto SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 (16) 3315-3451 / 3315-4407 - Ribeirão Preto - SP - Brazil
E-mail: rlae@eerp.usp.br

Acompanhe os números deste periódico no seu leitor de RSS

[1] Corresponding Author: Adriana de Azevedo Smith Universidade Federal da Paraíba Cidade Universitária CEP: 58.051-900, João Pessoa, PB, Brasil E-mail: drikasmith@hotmail.com

Variable		High risk of falls		Low risk of falls		Total		Prevalence Ratio (95%CI)	Prevalence of Odds Ratio OR (95%CI)	p*
Variable		N	%	N	%	N	%	PR	POR	p*
Sex
	Female	96	57.5	71	42.5	167	100	1.749	2.761	<0.001
	Male	24	32.9	49	67.1	73	100	1.229-2.488	1.551-4.914
Age Group
	60-79 years	95	47.3	106	52.7	201	100	0.737	0.502	0.054
	80 years or older	25	64.1	14	35.9	39	100	0.559-0.972	0.247-1.021
Cognitive Status
	With impairment	39	79.6	10	20.4	49	100	1.877	5.296	<0.001
	Without impairment	81	42.4	100	57.6	191	100	1.510-2.333	2.498-11.231
Presented falls
	Yes	38	73.1	14	26.9	52	100	1.675	3.509	<0.001
	No	82	43.6	106	56.4	88	100	1.329-2.112	1.783-6.906

Comorbidities		High Risk for Falls		Low Risk for Falls		Prevalence Ratio PR (95% CI)	Prevalence of Odds Ratio OR (95%CI)	p*
Comorbidities		N	%	N	%	PR	POR
Anxiety/Panic Disorder					%	PR	POR
	Yes	32	68.1	15	31.9	1.493	2.545
	No	88	45.6	105	54.4	1.164-1.916	1.295-5.002	0.006
Osteoarthritis/arthrosis					54.4	1.164-1.916	1.295-5.002	0.006
	Yes	52	64.2	29	35.8	1.501	2.400
	No	68	42.8	91	57.2	1.178-1.913	1.381-4.169	0.002
Hearing impairment					57.2	1.178-1.913	1.381-4.169	0.002
	Yes	29	74.4	10	25.6	1.642	3.505
	No	91	45.3	110	54.7	1.293-2.086	1.622-7.575	0.001
Diabetes Mellitus					54.7	1.293-2.086	1.622-7.575	0.001
	Yes	35	62.5	21	37.5	1.353	1.941	0.033
	No	85	46.2	99	53.8	1.047-1.747	1.051-3.586
Depression					53.8	1.047-1.747	1.051-3.586
	Yes	29	82.9	6	17.1	1.867	6.055	<0.001
	No	91	44.4	114	55.6	1.506-2.314	2.410-12.212
Arterial hypertension					55.6	1.506-2.314	2.410-12.212
	Yes	98	67.6	47	32.4	6.919	2.918	<0.001
	No	22	23.3	73	76.8	3.835 -12.482	1.989-4.282
Obesity					76.8	3.835 -12.482	1.989-4.282
	Yes	9	64.3	5	35.7	1.309	1.865	0.271
	No	111	49.1	115	50.9	0.867-1.977	0.606-5.738
Osteoporosis					50.9	0.867-1.977	0.606-5.738
	Yes	37	62.7	22	37.3	1.368	1.986	0.025
	No	83	45.9	98	54.1	1.062-1.760	1,086-3.630
Spine Problems					54.1	1.062-1.760	1,086-3.630
	Yes	60	60.0	40	40.0	1.400	2.000	0.009
	No	60	42.9	80	57.1	1.091-1.797	1.187-3.370
Visual impairment					57.1	1.091-1.797	1.187-3.370
	Yes	72	68.8	33	31.4	1.929	3.955	<0.001
	No	48	35.5	87	67.5	1.485-2.505	2.300-6.801

Variable		High risk of falls		Low risk of falls		Prevalence of Odds Ratio	p*
Variable		N	(%)	N	(%)	POR
Sex					(%)	POR
	Female	96	57.5	71	42.5	1.248	0.609
	Male	24	32.9	49	67.1	0.534-2.916
Age group					67.1	0.534-2.916
	60-79 years	95	47.3	106	52.7	0.502	0.061
	80 years or older	25	64.1	14	35.9	0.244-1.033
Presented falls					35.9	0.244-1.033
	Yes	38	73.1	14	26.9	2.831	0.014
	No	82	43.6	106	56.4	1.234-6.496
With whom they live					56.4	1.234-6.496
	Alone	2	18.2	9	81.8	7.273	0.038
	Accompanied	71	31.0	158	69.0	1.113-47.547
Morbidity					69.0	1.113-47.547
	Arterial hypertension
	Yes	98	67.6	47	32.4	1.748	0.135
	No	22	23.3	73	76.8	0.841-3.631
Visual impairment					76.8	0.841-3.631
	Yes	72	68.6	33	31.4	8.189	<0.001
	No	48	35.6	87	67.5	4.079-16.442
Spine Problems					67.5	4.079-16.442
	Yes	60	60.0	40	40.0	1.180	0.629
	No	60	42.9	80	57.1	0.603-2.308
Rheumatic diseases					57.1	0.603-2.308
	Yes	52	64.2	29	35.8	4.200	<0.001
	No	68	42.8	91	57.2	2.166-8.144