Outpatient Department, National Geriatric Hospital, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam.
Department of Geriatrics, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 12;18(8):4041. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18084041.
Falls in older people are a major public health issue, as they are associated with increased risks of morbidity and mortality. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and factors associated with falls among older outpatients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 539 outpatients aged 60 and over at the National Geriatric Hospital, Hanoi, Vietnam. Falls and their associated factors were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression. The prevalence of falls was 23.7% (single fall 17.9%, recurrent falls 5.8%). The majority of falls occurred at home (69.6%) and were caused by a slippery floor (51.6%). After falling, most patients sustained physical injuries (65.6%); notably, women suffered more severe injuries than men. Alcohol consumption, using psychotropic medications, having three or more comorbidities, hypertension, COPD, urinary incontinence, frailty, fear of falling, ADL/IADL limitation, slow walking speed and mobility impairment were significantly associated with falls. Overall, the data indicated that falls were prevalent among older outpatients. Behavior factors, comorbidities, geriatric syndromes and physical function were substantially associated with falls, suggesting that most falls are preventable. Further longitudinal studies of longer periods are needed to comprehensively investigate the risk factors for falls.
老年人跌倒已成为一个重大的公共卫生问题，因为其与发病率和死亡率的增加有关。本研究旨在调查越南河内国家老年医院老年门诊患者跌倒的发生率和相关因素。采用多变量逻辑回归分析了跌倒及其相关因素。跌倒的发生率为 23.7%（单跌倒 17.9%，复发性跌倒 5.8%）。大多数跌倒发生在家里（69.6%），由地面湿滑引起（51.6%）。跌倒后，大多数患者遭受了身体损伤（65.6%）；值得注意的是，女性比男性遭受的伤害更严重。饮酒、使用精神药物、合并三种或三种以上疾病、高血压、COPD、尿失禁、衰弱、害怕跌倒、ADL/IADL 受限、行走速度缓慢和活动能力受损与跌倒显著相关。总的来说，数据表明老年门诊患者跌倒发生率较高。行为因素、合并症、老年综合征和身体功能与跌倒密切相关，表明大多数跌倒都是可以预防的。需要进一步开展更长时间的纵向研究，以全面调查跌倒的危险因素。
