EFFECT OF COVID-19 ON PAIN, FALL FREQUENCY, FEAR OF FALLING, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL IN OLDER PEOPLE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Year 2024, Volume: 35 Issue: 2, 178 - 187, 27.08.2024

Ozan Gür , Selda Başar

https://doi.org/10.21653/tjpr.1337956

Abstract

Purpose: People who have recovered from COVID-19 may experience a range of symptoms. These symptoms are linked to negative changes in pain, falls, fear of falling, and physical activity. The current study aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 on pain, fall frequency, fear of falling, and physical activity level in older people, as well as identify associated factors with these variables.
Methods: Participants were divided into two groups for this cross-sectional study: COVID-19 (n=48) and healthy control (n=66). Pain, number of falls, fear of falling, and physical activity level of the participants were assessed. Multiple linear regression analysis was also used to identify factors associated with these variables. Participants were also asked about their demographics, illnesses, post-COVID-19 symptoms, smoking habits, who they lived with, how long they had been infected with COVID-19, hospitalization due to COVID-19, and the doses of the vaccine.
Results: Pain, fatigue, and cognitive impairment were found to be significantly more prevalent in the COVID-19 group (p=0.001, p=0.021, p=0.011, respectively). When compared to the control group, the COVID-19 group showed worse results in terms of pain intensity, the number of falls, fear of falling, and physical activity level (p=0.009, p=0.030, p=0.005, p<0.001, respectively). It was found that COVID-19 infection significantly predicted pain intensity and physical activity level (β=-0.273, p=0.007; β=0.416, p=0.003, respectively).
Conclusion: Older adults who have had COVID-19 experience more pain, falls, fear of falling, and reduced physical activity compared to their peers. COVID-19 affects pain severity and physical activity in older individuals after recovery. It is important to assess long-term symptoms, falls, and physical activity in older adults who have had COVID-19 and provide necessary treatments.

Keywords

Aging, COVID-19, Falling, Pain, Physical Activity

COVID-19’UN YAŞLILARDA AĞRI, DÜŞME SIKLIĞI, DÜŞME KORKUSU VE FİZİKSEL AKTİVİTE SEVİYESİ ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ: KESİTSEL BİR ÇALIŞMA

Abstract

Amaç: COVID-19’a yakalanmış kişiler hastalık sonrası çeşitli semptomlara sahip olabilirler. Bu semptomlar ağrı, düşme, düşme korkusu ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesindeki olumsuz değişiklikler ile ilişkilidir. Bu çalışmada COVID-19’un yaşlılarda ağrı, düşme sıklığı, düşme korkusu ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesi üzerine etkisini araştırmak ve bu değişkenlerle ilişkili faktörleri belirlenmek amaçlanmıştır.
Yöntem: Katılımcılar bu kesitsel çalışma için COVID-19 (n=48) ve sağlıklı kontrol (n=66) olmak üzere iki gruba ayrıldı. Katılımcıların ağrı, düşme sayısı, düşme korkusu ve fiziksel aktivite seviyeleri değerlendirildi. Bu faktörlerle ilişkili değişkenler çoklu lineer regresyon analizi kullanılarak belirlendi. Ayrıca katılımcıların demografik bilgileri, hastalık bilgileri, COVID-19 sonrası semptomları, sigara içme durumları, kimle birlikte yaşadıkları, COVID-19 hastalığına yakalandıktan sonra geçen süre, COVID-19 nedeniyle hastaneye yatış durumları ve COVID-19 aşı dozları sorgulandı.
Sonuçlar: Ağrı, yorgunluk ve bilişsel bozuklukların COVID-19 grubunda anlamlı şekilde daha yaygın olduğu görüldü (p=0,001, p=0,021, p=0,011, sırasıyla). COVID-19 grubu kontrol grubuyla karşılaştırıldığında ağrı şiddeti, düşme sayısı, düşme korkusu ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesinde daha kötü sonuçlar gösterdi (p=0,009, p=0,030, p=0,005, p<0,001, sırasıyla). COVID-19’un ağrı şiddeti ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesini önemli ölçüde etkileyen bir faktör olduğu tespit edildi (β=-0,273, p=0,007; β=0,416, p=0,003, sırasıyla).
Tartışma: COVID-19 geçirmiş yaşlı bireylerde ağrı, düşme sıklığı, düşme korkusu ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesi kendi yaş grubundaki kişilere göre daha kötüdür. Hastalık sonrası dönemde COVID-19, yaşlılarda ağrı şiddeti ve fiziksel aktivite seviyesini etkilemektedir. COVID-19’a yakalanan yaşlı bireylerin hastalık sonrası uzun süreli semptomlar, düşme ve fiziksel aktivite açısından değerlendirilmesi ve gerektiğinde uygun tedavinin uygulanması önemlidir.

Keywords

Yaşlanma, COVID-19, Düşme, Ağrı, Fiziksel Aktivite

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