Older Adults with Hypertension: Prevalence of Falls and Their Associated Factors

Atirah Az-Zahra Abu Bakar, Azidah Abdul Kadir, Nur Suhaila Idris and Siti Nurbaya Mohd Nawi
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Atirah Az-Zahra Abu Bakar: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
Azidah Abdul Kadir: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
Nur Suhaila Idris: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia
Siti Nurbaya Mohd Nawi: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian 16150, Malaysia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 16, 1-11

Abstract: Falls are prominent health issues among older adults. Among hypertensive older adults, falls may have a detrimental effect on their health and wellbeing. The purpose of this study is to determine the prevalence of falls among hypertensive older adults and to identify the associated factors that contribute to their falls. This was a cross-sectional study conducted among two hundred and sixty-nine hypertensive older adults who were selected via systematic random sampling in two primary health clinics in Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia. Data on their socio-demographic details, their history of falls, medication history and clinical characteristics were collected. Balance and gait were assessed using the Performance Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA). It was found that 32.2% of participants reported falls within a year. Polypharmacy (adjusted OR 2.513, 95% CI 1.339, 4.718) and diuretics (adjusted OR 2.803, 95% CI 1.418, 5.544) were associated with an increased risk of falls. Meanwhile, a higher POMA score (adjusted OR 0.940, 95% CI 0.886, 0.996) and the number of antihypertensives (adjusted OR 0.473, 95% CI 0.319, 0.700) were associated with a low incidence of falling among hypertensive older adults. Falls are common among hypertensive older adults. Older adults who are taking diuretics and have a polypharmacy treatment plan have a higher incidence of falls. However, older adults taking a higher number of anti-hypertensive medications specifically were not associated with an increased prevalence of falls.

Keywords: falls; hypertension; older adults; older people (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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