Gill Tiffany, Taylor Anne W, Pengelly Ann
Population Research and Outcome Studies Unit, South Australian Department of Health, Adelaide, Australia.
Gerontology. 2005 Sep-Oct;51(5):340-5. doi: 10.1159/000086372.
Research on older people's perception regarding their quality of life and services and supports needed to maintain their independence was identified as a priority for the South Australian Department of Health in 2000-2001. This population survey was conducted to examine issues that older persons considered important in the areas of housing, transport, finances and information provision.
The aim of this article is to present the characteristics of community-dwelling older adults who reported falling in the previous 12 months.
A random representative sample of community-dwelling adults, living in South Australia, and aged 65 years and over were selected based on a sample from the electronic white pages telephone directory. Overall, 2,619 interviews were conducted (70.5% response rate) using Computer-Assisted Telephone Interviewing technology.
Approximately 30% of older adults had experienced a fall in the previous 12 months. The characteristics of people who had fallen included those in the older age groups, with fair or poor general health, whose health had worsened in the last 12 months, with lower socioeconomic status, those born in an English-speaking country, needing assistance at home, and with a home in need of repair. Of the respondents who had experienced a fall in the previous 12 months, 71.8% did not consider that they were at risk of having another fall.
There is a wide range of characteristics associated with community-dwelling older adults over the age of 65 who report falling in the previous 12 months. Perceptions of the risk of falling also vary. All factors need to be considered when targeting interventions to reduce the risk of both initial and multiple falls.
2000 - 2001年，对老年人生活质量的认知以及维持其独立性所需的服务和支持的研究被南澳大利亚卫生部确定为优先事项。本次人口调查旨在研究老年人认为在住房、交通、财务和信息提供等领域重要的问题。
本文旨在呈现过去12个月内报告有跌倒经历的社区居住老年人的特征。
基于电子白页电话簿中的样本，选取居住在南澳大利亚、年龄在65岁及以上的社区居住成年人的随机代表性样本。总体而言，使用计算机辅助电话访谈技术进行了2619次访谈（回复率为70.5%）。
约30%的老年人在过去12个月内经历过跌倒。跌倒者的特征包括年龄较大、总体健康状况一般或较差、在过去12个月内健康状况恶化、社会经济地位较低、出生在英语国家、在家需要帮助以及房屋需要维修的人群。在过去12个月内经历过跌倒的受访者中，71.8%认为自己没有再次跌倒的风险。
在过去12个月内报告有跌倒经历的65岁以上社区居住老年人具有多种特征。对跌倒风险的认知也各不相同。在针对降低首次跌倒和多次跌倒风险的干预措施时，所有因素都需要考虑。
