J Korean Acad Nurs.  2010 Aug;40(4):589-598. 10.4040/jkan.2010.40.4.589.

Fall Risk in Low-Income Elderly People in One Urban Area

• Choi KW
• Lee IS

• KMID: 1073081
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4040/jkan.2010.40.4.589

Abstract

PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to investigate the factors that increase of the risk for falls in low-income elders in urban areas.
METHODS
The participants were elderly people registered in one of public health centers in one city. Data were collected by interviewing the elders, assessing their environmental risk factors, and surveying relevant secondary data from the public health center records. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 14.
RESULTS
Stroke, diabetes, visual deficits, frequency of dizziness, use of assistive devices and moderate depression were statistically significant risk factors. The comorbidity of chronic diseases with other factors including depression, visual deficit, dizziness, and use of assistive devices significantly increased the risk of falls. From multiple logistic regression analysis, statistically significant predictors of falls were found to be stroke, total environmental risk scores, comorbiditiy of diabetes with visual deficits, and with depression.
CONCLUSION
Fall prevention interventions should be multifactorial, especially for the elders with stroke or diabetes, who were identified in this study as the high risk group for falls. A fall risk assessment tool for low-income elders should include both the intrinsic factors like depression, dizziness, and use of assistive devices, and the extrinsic factors.

Keyword

Vulnerable populations; Aged; Accidental falls

MeSH Terms

Accidental Falls/*prevention & control
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Community Health Centers
Comorbidity
Depression/complications
Diabetes Complications
Dizziness/complications
Female
Humans
Interviews as Topic
Male
*Poverty
Risk Factors
Stroke/complications
Urban Population

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