Risk factors for falls among older community dwellers in Shenzhen, China

Abstract

Objective: To determine the rate of falls reported by older community dwellers in Shenzhen, China and to identify fall-related risk factors.

Method: Participants were community dwellers residing in Shenzhen, China, who were aged 60 years and over and were recruited using multistage random sampling. All participants were surveyed about demographic and health-related information, mood, vision and hearing impairment, self-rated health and retrospective falls, and a test of balance was administered. Univariate and multivariate negative binomial regression was used to identify factors associated with a greater number of falls.

Result: Study participants were 1290 people aged 60-98 years (mean 68.2 years, SD ±6.5). One hundred and seventy-seven falls were reported. One hundred and eleven (8.6%) participants reported one fall in the past year, 17 (1.3%) participants reported two falls and 10 (0.8%) participants reported three or more falls. Univariate analysis showed that age, living alone, presence of a medical condition, medication usage, visual impairment, poor subjective body sense perception, low mood, poor self-rated health and poor balance were associated with a greater number of falls in the past year. Multivariate analysis identified presence of a medical condition (incidence rate ratio (IRR)=1.40, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.67), living alone (IRR=2.46, 95% CI 1.12 to 5.41), visual impairment (IRR=1.46, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.08), walking aid use (IRR=2.29, 95% CI 1.12 to 4.69) and impaired balance (IRR=1.05, 95% CI 1.00 to 1.10) to be significantly associated with a greater number of falls in the past year.

Conclusion: More falls occurred in older Chinese people with presence of a medical condition, living alone, visual impairment, used a walking aid and impaired balance.

Keywords: Chinese; accidental falls; aged; risk factors.