Instituto de Biomedicina, Universidad de León, Spain.
Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2013 Mar-Apr;56(2):350-7. doi: 10.1016/j.archger.2012.08.015. Epub 2012 Sep 17.
The aim of this study was to investigate socio-economic, clinical, anthropometric, balance and functional fitness factors present in Amazon riparian older persons that can be associated with a risk of falling. A cross sectional study was performed with 637 riverine elderly residents (≥60 years old) in Maués city Amazonas, Brazil. The elderly were grouped in two categories with and without a history of falls in the past six months. The following variables were compared between these groups: self-reported social and health conditions; biochemical and physiological variables related to the control of metabolic diseases; body composition; hand grip strength; functional fitness evaluation using the Senior Fitness Test (SFT) battery, and balance condition using the Berg Balance Test (BBT). The prevalence of at least one fall in the past six months was 24.6% (n=157) and was similar between the sexes. The mean age between males and females with and without a history of falls was also similar (males with falls=72.67 ± 8.86; males with no falls=73.26 ± 7.58) female falls=71.78 ± 8.18, female with no falls=71.48 ± 8.17). A history of falls was associated with hospitalization in the last year and to self-health perception to both sexes and presence of chronic morbidity and percentage of body fat (BF) to women. However, the other variables including balance and functional fitness, did not present differences between elderly with and without a history of falls. These results suggest that falls experienced by the riparian elderly are strongly associated to accidents due to environmental conditions related to daily life.
本研究旨在调查亚马逊河沿岸老年人中与跌倒风险相关的社会经济、临床、人体测量学、平衡和功能健身因素。这是一项横断面研究，对象为巴西亚马逊州莫埃斯市的 637 名河畔老年人（≥60 岁）。这些老年人分为有和无过去 6 个月内跌倒史两组。对两组之间的以下变量进行了比较：自我报告的社会和健康状况；与代谢性疾病控制相关的生化和生理变量；身体成分；手握力；使用老年人体能测试（SFT）电池进行的功能健身评估，以及使用伯格平衡测试（BBT）评估平衡状况。过去 6 个月至少有一次跌倒的发生率为 24.6%（n=157），且在性别间无差异。有和无跌倒史的男性和女性的平均年龄也相似（有跌倒史的男性=72.67 ± 8.86；无跌倒史的男性=73.26 ± 7.58；有跌倒史的女性=71.78 ± 8.18，无跌倒史的女性=71.48 ± 8.17）。有跌倒史与过去一年的住院治疗以及两性的自我健康感知、慢性发病和体脂百分比（BF）有关，但其他变量包括平衡和功能健身，在有和无跌倒史的老年人之间没有差异。这些结果表明，河畔老年人的跌倒经历与日常生活中与环境条件相关的事故密切相关。
