Determinants of perceived and measured falling risk in community dwelling older adults

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the perceived and measured fall risk in the older adults.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Urla State Hospital, Healthy Ageing School. Physical and sociodemographic characteristics of the elderly were questioned and recorded. Cognitive status, comorbidity, physical activity levels, walking speed, functional lower extremity strength, functional mobility, strength (knee extensors, ankle dorsiflexors, elbow flexors), hand grip strength, perceived fall risk were evaluated with Mini Mental State Test, Charlson Age-Added Comorbidity Index, Physical Activity Assessment Scale, 10 meters walking test, 30 seconds chair sit-up test, Timed Up&Go Test, hand-held dynamometer, sphygmomanometer, International Fall Efficiency Scale, respectively. Objective measurement of risk of falling were done by Dynamic Postural Stability Test (Tecnobody Pro-Kin balance device). Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine possible factors associated with perceived and measured fall risk.
Results: The study included 36 (27 females, 9 males) older adults with a mean age of 70.06±4.46 years. Height, elbow flexor muscle strength and body mass index explained 42% of the variance (f2 =0.73) in perceived fall risk. The number of comorbidities, functional mobility and height explained 54% of the variance (f2 =1.15) in the measured fall risk.
Conclusion: Short height, lack of elbow flexors’ strength and high body mass index were associated with fear of falling in the elderly; as well as long height, high number of comorbidities and poor functional mobility may the predictors of fall risk in elderly patients.

Keywords

• Elderly
• Accidental falls
• Balance
• Posture.

Toplumda yaşayan yaşlılarda algılanan ve ölçülen düşme riskinin belirteçleri

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmada toplumda yaşayan yaşlılarda algılanan ve ölçülen düşme riskini etkileyen faktörleri belirlemek amaçlandı.
Yöntem: Kesitsel planlanan çalışma Urla Devlet Hastanesi Sağlıklı Yaş Alma Okulu’nda yürütüldü. Yaşlıların fiziksel ve sosyodemografik özellikleri sorgulanıp kaydedildi. Çalışmada kognitif durum, Mini Mental Durum Testi; komorbidite, Charlson Yaş-ekli Komorbidite İndeksi; fiziksel aktivite seviyesi Fiziksel Aktivite Değerlendirme Ölçeği; yürüme hızı, 10 metre yürüme testi; alt ekstremite fonksiyonel kuvveti, 30 saniye sandalyede otur-kalk testi; fonksiyonel mobilite, Zamanlı Kalk-Yürü Testi; diz ekstansörlerinin, ayak bileği dorsifleksörlerinin ve dirsek fleksörlerinin kuvveti, el dinamometresi; el kavrama kuvveti, sfigmomanometre; algılanan düşme riski, Uluslararası Düşme Etkinlik Skalası; objektif düşme riski, Dinamik Postüral Stabilite Testi (Tecnobody Pro-Kin denge cihazı) ile değerlendirildi. Algılanan ve ölçülen düşme riski ile ilişkili olası belirteçlerin belirlenmesinde çoklu doğrusal regresyon analizi kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya yaş ortalaması 70,06±4,46 yıl olan 36 (27 kadın, 9 erkek) yaşlı dahil edildi. Algılanan düşme riskinde boy uzunluğu, dirsek fleksör kuvveti ve beden kütle indeksinin, varyansın %42’sini (f2=0,73); ölçülen düşme riskinde komorbidite puanı, fonksiyonel mobilite ve boy uzunluğunun, varyansın %54’ünü açıkladığı bulundu (f2=1,15).
Sonuç: Yaşlılarda kısa boy, düşük dirsek fleksör kuvveti ve yüksek beden kütle indeksi düşme korkusunun; uzun boy, yüksek komorbidite puanı ve kötü fonksiyonel mobilitenin ölçülen düşme riskinin belirteçleri arasında olabileceği göz önünde tutulmalıdır.

Keywords

• Yaşlılar
• Düşme
• Denge
• Postür

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