The Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Fear of Fall in the Elderly: A Hospital-Based, Cross-Sectional Study.
activities of daily living
fear of fall
geriatric population
hindi mental state examination
quality of life
Journal
Cureus
ISSN: 2168-8184
Titre abrégé: Cureus
Pays: United States
ID NLM: 101596737
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Mar 2022
Mar 2022
Historique:
accepted:
25
03
2022
entrez:
27
4
2022
pubmed:
28
4
2022
medline:
28
4
2022
Statut:
epublish
Résumé
Background Falls are one of the most common but serious health issues faced by the elderly population. Falls-related injuries not only add to the morbidity and economic burden they also have a significant negative impact on psychological health and the quality of life of the elderly. In this study, we assess the prevalence of fear of falling among the geriatric population and the risk factors associated with fear of falling. Methodology This prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among geriatric patients aged more than 60 years attending the medical outpatient department of a tertiary care hospital in Uttarakhand, India. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of fear of falling among the geriatric population and compare various demographic and clinical parameters in elderly patients with and without fear of falling. Fear of fall was assessed using a questionnaire by asking the elderly if they had fear of falling, how often they had fear of falling, and under which circumstances did they have fear of falling. Information regarding demographics, history of daily activities, and chronic diseases was collected and assessed from all geriatric patients with and without fear of falls. Results Almost half (334; 42%) of the geriatric population had a history of fear of falling. Demographic parameters such as age over 80 years, female gender, living alone, and rural background were significantly associated with fear of falling. Similarly, a history of chronic diseases such as stroke, hypertension, and history of visual and motility impairment was significantly related to fear of falls among geriatric patients. Around 70% (571) of geriatric patients aged over 60 years had associated health problems. Conclusions This study reinstates that fear of falls is a significant health issue in the elderly age group. It also highlights multiple risk factors related to fear of falling which if controlled can significantly improve the quality of life of the geriatric population.
Identifiants
pubmed: 35475069
doi: 10.7759/cureus.23479
pmc: PMC9035266
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Pagination
e23479Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2022, Dhar et al.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
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