Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India
Objectives There is limited knowledge regarding epidemiology and risk of falls among the elderly living in low-income and middle-income countries. In this situation, the current study aims to report the incidence of falls and associated risk factors among free living elderly population from Kerala,...
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BMJ Publishing Group
2020-07-01
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| Series: | BMJ Open |
| Online Access: | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033691.full |
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| author | Manu Raj Abish Sudhakar Conrad Kabali Divyamol K Sasidharan Priya Vijayakumar Sumi Soman Libin Antony |
| author_facet | Manu Raj Abish Sudhakar Conrad Kabali Divyamol K Sasidharan Priya Vijayakumar Sumi Soman Libin Antony |
| author_sort | Manu Raj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objectives There is limited knowledge regarding epidemiology and risk of falls among the elderly living in low-income and middle-income countries. In this situation, the current study aims to report the incidence of falls and associated risk factors among free living elderly population from Kerala, India.Design Prospective cohort study with stratified random cluster sampling.Setting The study location was Ernakulam, Kerala, India, and we collected information via house visits using a questionnaire. During the research, the subjects were followed up prospectively for 1 year by phone at intervals of 3 months and missing subjects were contacted by house visits.Participants Community-dwelling elderly above 65 years of age.Results We recruited a total of 1000 participants out of which a total of 201 (20.1%) subjects reported a fall during the follow-up. The incidence rate of falls was 31 (95% CI 27.7 to 34.6) per 100 person-years. Female sex (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.10, p=0.027), movement disorders including Parkinsonism (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.00 to 5.05, p=0.048), arthritis (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.09, p=0.026), dependence in basic activities of daily living (OR, 3.49, 95% CI 2.00 to 6.09, p<0.001), not using antihypertensive medications (OR, 1.53, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.13, p=0.012), living alone during daytime (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.59 to 6.71, p=0.001) and a history of falls in the previous year (OR, 2.25, 95% CI 1.60 to 3.15, p<0.001) predicted a fall in the following year.Conclusions One in five community-dwelling senior citizen fall annually and one in four who fall are prone to fall again in the following year. Interventions targeting falls among the elderly need to focus on modifiable risk factors such as living alone during daytime, movement disorders, arthritis and dependence on basic activities of daily living. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-878d98ff3fe54939b677258a66e02ee9 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2044-6055 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2020-07-01 |
| publisher | BMJ Publishing Group |
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| series | BMJ Open |
| spelling | doaj-art-878d98ff3fe54939b677258a66e02ee92025-08-20T02:35:54ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open2044-60552020-07-0110710.1136/bmjopen-2019-033691Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, IndiaManu Raj0Abish Sudhakar1Conrad Kabali2Divyamol K Sasidharan3Priya Vijayakumar4Sumi Soman5Libin Antony6Health Sciences Research, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala, IndiaDepartment of Pediatric Cardiology, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Cochin, Kerala, IndiabiostatisticianGeriatric Medicine, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Cochin, Kerala, IndiaGeriatric Medicine, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, IndiaPublic Health Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, IndiaPublic Health Research, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Kochi, Kerala, IndiaObjectives There is limited knowledge regarding epidemiology and risk of falls among the elderly living in low-income and middle-income countries. In this situation, the current study aims to report the incidence of falls and associated risk factors among free living elderly population from Kerala, India.Design Prospective cohort study with stratified random cluster sampling.Setting The study location was Ernakulam, Kerala, India, and we collected information via house visits using a questionnaire. During the research, the subjects were followed up prospectively for 1 year by phone at intervals of 3 months and missing subjects were contacted by house visits.Participants Community-dwelling elderly above 65 years of age.Results We recruited a total of 1000 participants out of which a total of 201 (20.1%) subjects reported a fall during the follow-up. The incidence rate of falls was 31 (95% CI 27.7 to 34.6) per 100 person-years. Female sex (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.10, p=0.027), movement disorders including Parkinsonism (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.00 to 5.05, p=0.048), arthritis (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.05 to 2.09, p=0.026), dependence in basic activities of daily living (OR, 3.49, 95% CI 2.00 to 6.09, p<0.001), not using antihypertensive medications (OR, 1.53, 95% CI 1.10 to 2.13, p=0.012), living alone during daytime (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.59 to 6.71, p=0.001) and a history of falls in the previous year (OR, 2.25, 95% CI 1.60 to 3.15, p<0.001) predicted a fall in the following year.Conclusions One in five community-dwelling senior citizen fall annually and one in four who fall are prone to fall again in the following year. Interventions targeting falls among the elderly need to focus on modifiable risk factors such as living alone during daytime, movement disorders, arthritis and dependence on basic activities of daily living.https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033691.full |
| spellingShingle | Manu Raj Abish Sudhakar Conrad Kabali Divyamol K Sasidharan Priya Vijayakumar Sumi Soman Libin Antony Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India BMJ Open |
| title | Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| title_full | Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| title_fullStr | Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| title_short | Incidence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elderly subjects on a 1-year follow-up: a prospective cohort study from Ernakulam, Kerala, India |
| title_sort | incidence and risk factors for falls among community dwelling elderly subjects on a 1 year follow up a prospective cohort study from ernakulam kerala india |
| url | https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/10/7/e033691.full |
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