Falls, fear of falling and related factors in community‐dwelling individuals aged 80 and over in Turkey

2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatice Simsek ◽  
Erdem Erkoyun ◽  
Ali Akoz ◽  
Alp Ergor ◽  
Reyhan Ucku
2003 ◽  
Vol 83 (12) ◽  
pp. 1072-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janine Hatch ◽  
Kathleen M Gill-Body ◽  
Leslie G Portney

Background and Purpose. The fear of falling can have detrimental effects on physical function in the elderly population, but the relationship between a persons' confidence in the ability to maintain balance and actual balance ability and functional mobility is not known. The extent to which balance confidence can be explained by balance performance, functional mobility, and sociodemographic, psychosocial, and health-related factors was the focus of this study. Subjects. The subjects were 50 community-dwelling elderly people, aged 65 to 95 years (X̄=81.7, SD=6.7). Methods. Balance was measured using the Berg Balance Scale. Functional mobility was measured using the Timed Up & Go Test. The Activities-specific Balance Scale was used to assess balance confidence. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation, multiple regression analysis, and t tests. Results. Fifty-seven percent of the variance in balance confidence could be explained by balance performance. Functional mobility and subject characteristics examined in this study did not contribute to balance confidence. Discussion and Conclusion. Balance performance alone is a strong determinant of balance confidence in community-dwelling elderly people.


2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Thu Thi Hoai Nguyen ◽  
Anh Trung Nguyen ◽  
Thanh-Huyen Thi Vu ◽  
Nga Thi Dau ◽  
Phong Quy Nguyen ◽  
...  

Objectives. This study investigated associations between frailty and functional disability in elder suburban Vietnamese. Method. Cross-sectional analysis was carried out on 251 participants aged 80 and over in Soc Son district. We used the Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scale including 8 items, and functional disability was defined as ≥3 IADL impairment. We defined frail as ≥3 out of 5 frailty components including weight   loss > 5 % , weak grip, exhaustion, low walking speed, and low physical activity. Results. Of 251 participants with a mean age of 84.6, 11.2% was classified as frail and 64.5% had ≥3 IADLs. Among the frailty components, low walking speed and low physical activity were significantly associated with increased odds of having ≥3 IADLs: ORs (95% CI) were 4.2 (2.3-7.9) and 3.7 (1.7-8.2). Conclusion. Frailty is associated with the higher likelihood of having functional disability. Further longitudinal studies are needed to examine the causal this relationship.


2019 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
pp. 204062231882084 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth Peters

Background: Hypertension is prevalent in older adults. Hypertension has also been associated with an increased risk of cognitive decline. However, evidence relating to the impact of antihypertensive use is mixed. Calcium-channel blockers (CCB) have been suggested as the most beneficial class of antihypertensive for protection of cognition in older adults, however, to date, there have been no cohort studies designed to examine this. Methods: Community-dwelling treated hypertensive adults aged 80 and over were recruited from general practice sites and followed for 1 year. Cognitive function was assessed at baseline and 12 months using the modified Mini-Mental State Exam (3MS). Regression was used to examine the association between 12-month exposure to antihypertensive class and change in cognitive function. Results: A total of 292 participants completed the study. Mean change in 3MS score was a rise of 0.53 [standard deviation (SD) 4.7] 3MS points in those taking CCBs ( n = 135) compared with a drop of 0.09 (SD 5.1) in those without ( n = 157) p = 0.28. There was no relationship between CCBs or between any antihypertensive class and change in cognitive function over 1 year. Additional analyses using a clinically meaningful fall of 5 or more 3MS points showed similar results. Conclusion: In a hypertensive community-dwelling older adult population treated with antihypertensives, there was no evidence that CCBs were protective of cognitive function over a 12-month exposure. If a protective effect is present, it may be small or require a longer treatment period. Larger longer studies are required for confirmation.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 291
Author(s):  
Tatsuro Inoue ◽  
Keisuke Maeda ◽  
Ayano Nagano ◽  
Akio Shimizu ◽  
Junko Ueshima ◽  
...  

Osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia are common geriatric diseases among older adults and harm activities of daily living (ADL) and quality of life (QOL). Osteosarcopenia is a unique syndrome that is a concomitant of both osteopenia/osteoporosis and sarcopenia. This review aimed to summarize the related factors and clinical outcomes of osteosarcopenia to facilitate understanding, evaluation, prevention, treatment, and further research on osteosarcopenia. We searched the literature to include meta-analyses, reviews, and clinical trials. The prevalence of osteosarcopenia among community-dwelling older adults is significantly higher in female (up to 64.3%) compared to male (8–11%). Osteosarcopenia is a risk factor for death, fractures, and falls based on longitudinal studies. However, the associations between osteosarcopenia and many other factors have been derived based on cross-sectional studies, so the causal relationship is not clear. Few studies of osteosarcopenia in hospitals have been conducted. Osteosarcopenia is a new concept and has not yet been fully researched its relationship to clinical outcomes. Longitudinal studies and high-quality interventional studies are warranted in the future.


Author(s):  
Christian Hentschke ◽  
Martin Halle ◽  
Barbara Geilhof ◽  
Peter Landendoerfer ◽  
Wolfgang Blank ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Falls and fall-related injuries are common in community-dwelling older persons. Longitudinal data on effective fall prevention programs are rare. Objective Therefore, we evaluated a 4-months multi-component exercise fall prevention program in a primary care setting on long-term effects over 24 months on falls and concomitant injuries in older community-dwelling persons with high risk of falling. Design and Setting In the Prevention of Falls (PreFalls) study, forty general practitioners in Germany were cluster-randomized (1:1) into an intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). Three hundred seventy-eight independently living people with high risk of falling (78.1 ± 5.9 years, 75% women) were assigned to IG (n = 222) or CG (n = 156). Intervention and Measurements Patients in IG took part in a 4-months multi-component exercise program comprising strength and balance exercises (28 sessions); patients in CG received no intervention. Primary outcome measure was number of falls over 24 months, analyzed by a patient-level, linear mixed Poisson model. Secondary endpoints were number of fall-related injuries, changes in physical function, fear of falling, and mortality. Results After 24 months, the IG demonstrated significantly fewer falls (IRR = 0.63, p = 0.021), injurious falls (IRR = 0.69, p = 0.034), and less fear of falling (p = 0.005). The mortality rate was 5.0% in IG and 10.3% in CG (HR = 0.51, 95% CI: 0.24 to 1.12; p = 0.094). Conclusions In older community-dwelling persons with high risk of falling, a short-term multi-component exercise intervention reduced falls and injurious falls, as well as fear of falling over 24 months.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Makino ◽  
S Lee ◽  
S Bae ◽  
I Chiba ◽  
K Harada ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The present study aimed to examine the prospective associations of physical frailty with future falls and fear of falling (FOF) among community-dwelling older adults. Methods A prospective cohort study with a 48-month follow-up was conducted in a Japanese community. Participants were 2469 community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older who completed baseline and follow-up assessments at intervals of 48±2 months. Primary outcomes were recent falls (defined as at least one fall within the past year) and FOF (determined by response to “Are you afraid of falling?”) at follow-up survey. Physical frailty, operationalized by the frailty phenotype (slowness, weakness, exhaustion, weight loss, and low activity) based on the criteria of the Japanese version of the Cardiovascular Health Study (J-CHS), was also assessed as a predictor of future falls and FOF. Results Multivariate logistic regression showed that pre-frailty or frailty increase the risk of not only future falls (OR: 1.57; 95%CI = 1.20-2.05) but also FOF (OR: 1.33; 95%CI = 1.05-1.69). In addition, the relationship between baseline frailty status and future falls remained significant after adjusting for baseline FOF (OR: 1.55; 95%CI = 1.19-2.02), and the relationship between baseline frailty status and future FOF also remained significant after adjusting for baseline falls (OR: 1.32; 95%CI = 1.04-1.68). Conclusions Frailty status may predict future falls and FOF among community-dwelling older adults. Strategies to prevent frailty may be beneficial to prevent not only future falls but also future FOF in a community setting. Impact Falls and FOF have a close relationship but a different clinical meaning. Older adults with physical frailty may require monitoring as high-risk not only for falls but also for FOF.


2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 507-516 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eralda Hegendörfer ◽  
Bert Vaes ◽  
Catharina Matheï ◽  
Gijs Van Pottelbergh ◽  
Jean-Marie Degryse

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