Factors associated with falls among older persons in Limbang division, Sarawak
Ageing brings with it numerous challenges and issues and an increase in degenerative and age related diseases. Degenerative changes due to ageing leads to reduced adaptability to sudden changes in environment or body position and this results in loss of balance and falls. Falls among the older pe...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11256/3/Factors%20associated%20with%20falls%20among%20older%20persons%20in%20Limbang%20Division%2C%20Sarawak%20%28fulltext%29.pdf |
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| Summary: | Ageing brings with it numerous challenges and issues and an increase in degenerative and
age related diseases. Degenerative changes due to ageing leads to reduced adaptability to
sudden changes in environment or body position and this results in loss of balance and falls.
Falls among the older persons is common and often result in serious morbidity and
mortality. Falls among older persons are therefore an important public health problem and
its true extent and factors associated with it needs to be studied"
This cross sectional study assesses the association between falls and socio-demographic
factors, extrinsic risk factors, intrinsic risk factors, functional status and determined
predictors of falls in this study population. A total of 187 community dwelling older
persons were selected by multi-stage sampling of villages within government health clinic
operational areas. Five government clinics out of 15 were randomly selected; subsequently
five villages per clinic were again randomly selected. Finally, ten respondents were
systematically identified from each village. This survey was carried out from November
2010 to February 2011 using face to face interviews. A questionnaire was developed that
contained sections on socio-demographic variables and environmental fall risk factors,
including falls and circumstances of falls, medical conditions and prescribed medications.
Functional status assessment was carried out using a ten-item modified Barthel Index.
Information on medical conditions and prescribed medications were obtained from homebased
medical record or direct assessment by a trained healthcare worker. Data was
analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square test for association between falls and risk
x
factors and finally multiple logistic regression for predictors of falls.
The prevalence of falls was 30.5% and majority (96.5%) of fallers had no injury. Most falls
(84.2%) occurred during the day and 63.2% occurred outside the house. The main reason
for falls was due to slips (73.7%) and trips (17.5%), and the remaining due to dizziness.
Falls occurred almost equally among the age groups, males and females, those married and
those without spouses, the ethnic groups, education levels, various income groups, and
those staying alone or with extended family. Bivariate analysis showed no significant
associations between falls and the socio-demographic variables. There were also no
significant associations between falls and the medical conditions of hypertension, diabetes,
heart disease, hearing impairment, cancer, gastritis and stroke and prescribed medications.
Bivariate analysis showed significant associations between falls and functional status,
arthritis, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, visual impairment and urinary
incontinence. Finally, from the multivariate analysis, functional status was a predictor of
falls among the study population. |
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