Falls among the elderly in rural areas of the Sharkia Governorate, Egypt
Abstract
Objective: Falls are one of the greatest public health problems affecting
the elderly and can lead to serious consequences. To estimate the prevalence of
falls among elderly individuals and to identify the associated risk factors. Methods: A cross sectional study was
conducted on 408 elderly persons aged 60 years and older in rural areas of the
Sharkia governorate, Egypt. All participating persons were subjected to a
structured interview questionnaire, Anthropometric measurements and Tinetti
scale for balance and gait. Results:
The prevalence of falls is high among the elderly (62%). Half of the falls
occurred indoors, mostly in bathroom (38.2%), on stairs (22.8%) and in the
bedroom (21.1%). Traffic falls occurred in (36.2%) of fallers. Slipping and
dizziness were the most common causes of falls. The results showed a
significant relationship between different types of chronic diseases, as well
as medication use, and a high risky tinetti score (OR=12.3) Conclusion: Although falls are a
frequent problem among elderly, there are preventable risk factors. Community
and family physicians have an important role in the prevention and management
of falls through the applications of geriatric care programs, identification of
risk factors and screening for falls.
Keywords
References
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