Risk factors for falls in the Thai elderly in an urban community.
J Med Assoc Thai
; 86(2): 124-30, 2003 Feb.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-12678149
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Instability or falls in the elderly are a health condition meeting all criteria for prevention i.e. high frequency, evidence of preventability and a high burden of morbidity. The consequences of a fall affect not only the elderly per se such as fractures and various kinds of physical and mental impairment, but also the family and the society as a whole in terms of the financial expenditure involved. The need for a comprehensive study to identify the risk factors for falls among the Thai elderly is, therefore, crucial for further management.OBJECTIVE:
To identify the significant risk factors for falls among the Thai elderly for further prevention and management.METHOD:
A cross-sectional study in the urban community around Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok. 1,043 community-dwelling people aged > or = 60 years were recruited. A structured questionnaire, including mental test and physical examinations as well as various laboratory tests, were used to identify the risk factors for falls between faller and control groups.RESULTS:
The overall prevalence of falls among elderly Thais in an urban area was 19.8 per cent during a period of 6 months. However, the prevalence was 24.1 per cent in women but only 12.1 per cent in men. Older people who were likely to fall also had a lower bone mass which predisposed them to future fractures. The independent risk factors for falls after multiple logistic regression analysis were female gender, hypertension, deafness, poor memory, poor self-perceived health status, poor performance in the instrumental activities of daily living, kyphoscoliosis, use of spectacles, rapid pulse rate after a 5 minute rest, higher serum transferrin and poor nutrition in terms of low lean body mass and reduced serum albumin level.CONCLUSIONS:
Special sense, activity of daily living, nutritional status, kyphoscoliosis, hypertension and cognitive ability were six important factors determining the likelihood of fall among the elderly in an urban area.
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Coleções:
01-internacional
Temas:
Alimentacao
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Acidentes por Quedas
/
Envelhecimento
/
Estilo de Vida
Tipo de estudo:
Etiology_studies
/
Incidence_studies
/
Observational_studies
/
Prevalence_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
/
Risk_factors_studies
Limite:
Aged
/
Aged80
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
País/Região como assunto:
Asia
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Med Assoc Thai
Ano de publicação:
2003
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Tailândia