Prevalence of falls and associations with family functioning among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China

Front Public Health. 2024 Dec 12:12:1450745. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1450745. eCollection 2024.

Abstract

Introduction: Falls are the primary cause of unintentional fatalities among individuals aged 65 and older. Enhancing research on fall prevention among older adults is an urgent priority. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of falls among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China, with a particular emphasis on the impact of family functioning.

Methods: We used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling technique to successfully survey 2,399 individuals aged 65 and above across 11 districts in Guangzhou City. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, health and lifestyle factors, and fall incidents were collected through telephone interviews. Chi-square tests, Lasso regression, and logistic regression were utilized to pinpoint fall risk factors. Association rule mining uncovered the relationships between falls and associated variables.

Results: A total of 390 participants reported experiencing falls, the prevalence of falls among older adults was 16.3% (95%CI: 14.82% ~ 17.78%). Logistic regression analysis identified several risk factors for falls among older adults: female [OR = 1.511, 95%CI (1.188-1.922)], age 85 years and older [OR = 2.332, 95%CI (1.447-3.758)], stroke [OR = 1.821, 95%CI (1.038-3.192)], hypoglycemia [OR = 1.639, 95%CI (1.228-2.186)], visual impairment [OR = 1.418, 95%CI (1.097-1.833)], need to be cared for [OR = 1.722, 95%CI (1.339-2.215)], chronic pain [OR = 1.663, 95%CI (1.302-2.124)], and anxiety [OR = 1.725, 95%CI (1.243-2.395)]. In addition, it was shown that a well-functioning family was a protective factor against falls [OR = 0.589, 95%CI (0.44-0.789)].

Conclusion: The prevalence of falls among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou City was high, and the influencing factors were complex. It is recommended to develop and implement comprehensive intervention measures for high-risk groups, including those who are females, older adults, and suffer from chronic diseases while paying special attention to the care of family members for older adults.

Keywords: LASSO regression; association rules; falls; family functioning; older adults; risk factors.

MeSH terms

  • Accidental Falls* / statistics & numerical data
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • China / epidemiology
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Family Relations
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Independent Living* / statistics & numerical data
  • Logistic Models
  • Male
  • Prevalence
  • Risk Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare that financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This study was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (72104061); the Science Technology Project of Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission (20241A011055, 2024A031007); the Key Project of Medicine Discipline of Guangzhou (2021-2023-12); Basic Research Project of Key Laboratory of Guangzhou (202102100001); Basic and Applied Research Project of Guangzhou (SL2022A03J01446); and Guangzhou Science and Technology Program (20220602JBGS04, 2023A03J0463).