Revista de Saúde Pública ()

Frequency and factors associated with falls in adults aged 55 years or more

  • Sabrina Canhada Ferrari Prato,
  • Selma Maffei de Andrade,
  • Marcos Aparecido Sarria Cabrera,
  • Renata Maciulis Dip,
  • Hellen Geremias dos Santos,
  • Mara Solange Gomes Dellaroza,
  • Arthur Eumann Mesas

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1590/s1518-8787.2017051005409
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 51, no. 0

Abstract

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ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to analyze the frequency and factors associated with falls in adults aged 55 years or more. METHODS This is a study inserted into another population-based study with representative sample of persons aged 40 years or more of the urban area in a medium-sized municipality of the State of Paraná, Brazil, in 2011. That study obtained demographic and socioeconomic data and characteristics related to life habits, health conditions, and functional capacity (n = 1,180). In 2012, we selected all persons aged 55 years or more (n = 501). We have estimated grip strength and the occurrence of a fall since the last interview in 80.6% of the adults. The crude and adjusted odds ratios (OR) have been calculated by logistic regression according to a hierarchical model. RESULTS The rate of fall was 24.3%. After adjustments, we could observe higher chances of falls among women (OR = 3.10; 95%CI 1.79–5.38), among persons aged 65 years or more (OR = 2.39; 95%CI 1.45–3.95), with poor sleep quality (OR = 1.78; 95%CI 1.08–2.93), and with low grip strength (OR = 2.31; 95%CI 1.34–3.97). CONCLUSIONS Poor sleep quality and low muscle strength can be indicators of increased risk of falls and need assessments and interventions aimed at preventing them.

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