Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults with Lower Back or Knee Pain Are Associated with Cognitive and Emotional Factors

Tatsuya Hirase, Hyuma Makizako, Yoshiro Okubo, Stephen R. Lord, Minoru Okita, Yuki Nakai, Toshihiro Takenaka, Takuro Kubozono and Mitsuru Ohishi
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Tatsuya Hirase: Department of Physical Therapy Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8520, Japan
Hyuma Makizako: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan
Yoshiro Okubo: Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Stephen R. Lord: Falls, Balance and Injury Research Centre, Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia
Minoru Okita: Department of Physical Therapy Sciences, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki 852-8520, Japan
Yuki Nakai: Department of Physical Therapy, School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8544, Japan
Toshihiro Takenaka: Tarumizu Municipal Medical Center, Tarumizu Chuo Hospital, Kagoshima 891-2124, Japan
Takuro Kubozono: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Hypertension, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan
Mitsuru Ohishi: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine and Hypertension, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Science, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 14, 1-8

Abstract: (1) Background: The present study aimed to examine physical, cognitive and emotional factors affecting falls in community-dwelling older adults with and without pain; (2) Methods: Data from 789 older adults who participated in a community-based health survey were analyzed. Participants completed questionnaires on the presence of pain and previous falls. Muscle weakness (handgrip strength < 26.0 kg for men and < 18.0 kg for women) and low skeletal muscle mass (appendicular skeletal muscle mass index < 7.0 kg/m 2 for men and < 5.7 kg/m 2 for women) were determined. Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and depressive symptoms were assessed using the National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology-Functional Assessment Tool and 15-item geriatric depression scale (GDS-15), respectively; (3) Results: In participants with pain, MCI and GDS-15 were associated with previous falls after adjusting for age, sex, education and medication use. In participants without pain, muscle weakness and low skeletal muscle mass were associated with previous falls when adjusting for the above covariates; (4) Conclusions: Falls in participants with pain were associated with cognitive and emotional factors, whereas falls in those without pain were associated with physical factors. Fall prevention interventions for older adults with pain may require tailored strategies to address cognitive and emotional factors.

Keywords: aged; accidental falls; pain; mild cognitive impairment; depressive symptoms (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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