Risk assessment for falls in the elderly population

Author: Toba, Kenji

Source: Geriatrics and Gerontology International, Volume 8, Supplement 1, March 2008 , pp. S26-S28(3)

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Abstract:

Objective:

To evaluate whether a simple questionnaire composed of 22 items, including several environmental factors, could establish predictive validity for identifying fallers. Patients and methods:

The study included 2439 community-dwelling elderly people (76.3 ± 7.4 years old). Scores on the questionnaire containing only dichotomous questions (yes or no) were compared between fallers and non-fallers. A multivariate analysis was performed to identify independent risk factors for falls in a longitudinal study (n = 342). Results:

A logistic regression analysis revealed that advanced age, a history of falls, cognitive dysfunction, a round back and knee joint pain were independent risks for falls. On the other hand, no environmental factors were found as independent risks for falls. Conclusion:

A simple fall predicting score is useful for identifying high-risk individuals in clinical settings.

Keywords: elderly; falls; risk assessment

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1447-0594.2007.00401.x

Publication date: 2008-03-01