Risk Factors for Falls in Community-Dwelling Older Adults During the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic in Japan: A Prospective Cohort Study

Akihiko Murayama (), Daisuke Higuchi, Kosuke Saida, Shigeya Tanaka and Tomoyuki Shinohara
Additional contact information
Akihiko Murayama: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation, Gunma University of Health and Welfare, Maebashi Plaza Genki 21 6-7F, 2-12-1 Hon-machi, Maebashi-shi 371-0023, Gunma, Japan
Daisuke Higuchi: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, 27 Naka Orui-machi, Takasaki-shi 370-0033, Gunma, Japan
Kosuke Saida: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, 27 Naka Orui-machi, Takasaki-shi 370-0033, Gunma, Japan
Shigeya Tanaka: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, 27 Naka Orui-machi, Takasaki-shi 370-0033, Gunma, Japan
Tomoyuki Shinohara: Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Health Care, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, 27 Naka Orui-machi, Takasaki-shi 370-0033, Gunma, Japan

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 12, 1-12

Abstract: This study aimed to test the hypothesis that knowledge derived from indirect assessments can be used to identify fall risk factors during a period of social distancing. A baseline survey of 1953 community-dwelling older adults was conducted in May 2020, with a follow-up survey performed in May 2023 to assess the situation 3 years later. In total, 339 individuals were followed from baseline to follow-up. Baseline age, sex, Questionnaire for Change of Life, Frailty Screening Index, and Questionnaire for Medical Checkup of Old-Old (QMCOO) scores and subscales were used to determine fall predictors. In addition, history of falls in the past year was assessed at follow-up (outcome). The participants were categorized into fall (n = 78) and non-fall (n = 261) groups. Using binary logistic regression analysis, items that showed significant differences in a between-group comparison were analyzed, and age and history of falls, which were sub-items of the QMCOO, were identified as predictors of falls. Although special assessments may be required during periods of social distancing, we believe that it is important for these assessments to continue being performed as they are performed during normal times.

Keywords: social distancing; community-dwelling older adults; falls; predictors of falls; remote assessment (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/12/1603/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/12/1603/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:12:p:1603-:d:1534028

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().