Living Conditions and the Incidence and Risk of Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults: A Multifactorial Study

Irene Escosura Alegre (), Eduardo José Fernández Rodríguez (), Celia Sánchez Gómez, Alberto García Martín and María Isabel Rihuete Galve
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Irene Escosura Alegre: Nursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Eduardo José Fernández Rodríguez: Nursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Celia Sánchez Gómez: Institute of Biomedical Research of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
Alberto García Martín: Department of Labour Law and Social Work, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
María Isabel Rihuete Galve: Nursing and Physiotherapy Department, University of Salamanca, 37007 Salamanca, Spain

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-15

Abstract: Old age represents a social group that is undergoing continuous expansion. The aging population will be prone to chronic diseases and falls, which is a marker of frailty and a public health problem. This study aims to examine the relationship between living conditions and the prevalence of the risk of falls in older adults within the community. As an observational cross-sectional study, intentional sampling was carried out on residents of the metropolitan area over 75 years of age. The socio-demographic data of the subjects and their history of falls were collected. Additionally, the subjects were evaluated on the risk of falling, basic activities of daily living, such as walking and balance, fragility, and their fear of falling. The statistical analyses used were based on the Shapiro–Wilk test for normality, statistics of central tendency with description, mean (M) and dispersion, standard deviation (SD), bivariate contingency tables for studying the relationships between the variables, and the analysis of Pearson’s relational statistics (χ 2 ). The comparisons of means were resolved by parametric or non-parametric routes. We obtained the following results: 1. The socio-demographic profile of our sample consisted of adults over 75 years of age, the majority of whom were overweight or obese women living in an urban area, specifically in an apartment, and receiving care; 2. Older people in the studied community had mild dependency and frailty, and were also at severe risk of falls; 3. The prevalence of falls was higher in women than in men in this study. Through these results, we confirmed the relationship between living conditions and the prevalence of risk of falls in older adults within the community.

Keywords: older adult; active aging; scale; risk of falls; life conditions; nursing role (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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