Factores de riesgo de caída en la comunidad: basado en auto-reporte de personas mayores

Abstract

Introduction: Several studies have shown independent risk factors for falling among community older people. However, there is few researches showing the importance of older person’s perception of their own fall risk. Aims: The study purpose was to identify independent risk factors for falls and to explore predictive factors related to the occurrence of falls in community-dwelling older people. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2015. All data were based on self-report of older persons. An study-specific questionnaire was used. Univariate and logistic regression analyses were used. Results: The sample comprised 562 men and 760 women. Among the participants, 24.5% reported having had falls in the previous six months, scoring a total of 467 falling events. Of the individuals who had fallen, 36.8% had experienced recurrent falls. The risk of fall was nearly twice as high in women than in men (OR=1.85; 95% CI: 1.40-2.43). Being 75 years old or older was associated with an increased risk of falling compared with being 65-74 years old (OR=2.38; 95% CI:1.82-3.11). The elderly who had fallen reported injuries (48.3%) associated with falls, and 36% required health care. Conclusion: Six independent risk factors for falling into the community dwelling older people were identified, some of which are potentially modifiable.