To read this content please select one of the options below:

The fall risk assessment and correlated factors among Iranians’ older adults

Leili Salehi (Health Education and Promotion Department, School of Health, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, The Islamic Republic of Iran) (Research Center for Health, Safety and Environment, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
Elham Akhondzadeh (Karaj, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
Sara Esmaelzadeh Saeieh (Reproductive Health Department, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, The Islamic Republic of Iran)
Mansoureh Yazd Khasti (Reproductive Health Department, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, The Islamic Republic of Iran)

Working with Older People

ISSN: 1366-3666

Article publication date: 7 December 2018

Issue publication date: 6 March 2019

112

Abstract

Purpose

Falling was distinguished as leading cause of fatal and non-fatal injuries among elderly; there is a lack of information regarding the falling risk factors in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the falling risk and correlated factors in community-dwelling elderly.

Design/methodology/approach

This cross-sectional study was performed on 280 elderly using a multi-sectional questionnaire in Karaj, Iran. The simple stratified random sampling was used. Adult who were over the age of 60, living independently, able to ambulate independently and safely, no cognition problem and speaking in Persian entered in the study. Exclusion criteria were residing in assisted living facility or unwilling to participate. Several statistical tests including logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data.

Findings

The mean age of participants was 69.55±8.82 and 51 per cent of them were female. The results showed that there are significant differences between low-, medium- and high-risk groups regarding age, marital status, diabetes, blood pressure and osteoarthritis (p<0.05). Due to finding, the main predictors to higher chance of falling were age (OR=1.61; 95% CI 1.025–1.097), marital status (OR=1.485; 95% CI 1.170–1.279), vision acuity (OR=1.603; 95% CI 1.297–2.223), activities of daily living (OR=2.10; 95% CI 1.047–3.859), heart disease (OR=1.448; 95% CI 1.268–1.728), osteoarthritis (OR=1.238; 95% CI 1.711–2.127), falling history (OR=1.026; 95% CI 1.015–1.089) and medication (OR=5.975; 95% CI 1.525–23.412).

Practical implications

Better understanding of falling risk factors can lead to the implementation of effective preventive intervention, thus reducing public health expenditure, and improving the quality of life.

Originality/value

This study was conducted for the first time to assess the risk of falling in older people in Iran.

Keywords

Citation

Salehi, L., Akhondzadeh, E., Esmaelzadeh Saeieh, S. and Yazd Khasti, M. (2019), "The fall risk assessment and correlated factors among Iranians’ older adults", Working with Older People, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 27-36. https://doi.org/10.1108/WWOP-11-2018-0020

Publisher

:

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited

Related articles