Falls among the non-institutionalized elderly in northern Minas Gerais, Brazil: prevalence and associated factors

Autor: Jair Almeida Carneiro, Gizele Carmen Fagundes Ramos, Ana Teresa Fernandes Barbosa, Élen Débora Souza Vieira, Jéssica Santos Rocha Silva, Antônio Prates Caldeira
Jazyk: English<br />Portuguese
Předmět:
Zdroj: Revista Brasileira de Geriatria e Gerontologia, Vol 19, Iss 4, Pp 613-625
Druh dokumentu: article
ISSN: 1809-9823
1981-2256
DOI: 10.1590/1809-98232016019.150110
Popis: Abstract Objective: To identify the prevalence of falls and associated factors in non-institutionalized elderly persons. Methods: A cross-sectional study featuring a population-based sample of non-institutionalized elderly persons in a city in the north of Minas Gerais was performed. Interviews were conducted in households by trained staff using validated instruments. We investigated the associations between falls and demographic, socioeconomic and health-related factors. After bivariate analysis, the variables associated with falls to a level of 20% were analyzed together using logistic regression, assuming at this stage a significance level of 5%. Results: The studied population was predominantly female, married and with a low educational level. The prevalence of falls was 28.4%. The factors that were associated with falls were: female gender (OR=1.67; 95% CI:1.13 to 2.47); negative self-evaluation of health (OR=1.49; 95% CI: 1.02 to 2.20); impaired functional mobility (Timed Up and Go test >20 seconds) (OR=1.66; 95CI: 1.02-2.74); the occurrence of hospitalization in the previous 12 months (OR=1.82; 95% CI: 1.17 to 2.84); and frailty measured by the Edmonton Frail Scale (OR=1.73; 95% CI: 1.14 to 2.64). Conclusions: The prevalence of falls was high for the population studied and was related to the individual health conditions of the elderly.
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