Prevalence and Associated Factors of Falls among Older Adults between Urban and Rural Areas of Shantou City, China.

BACKGROUND

To investigate the prevalence of falls and associated factors among older adults in urban and rural areas and to facilitate the design of fall prevention interventions.

METHODS

We used cluster random sampling to investigate the sociodemographic information, living habits, medical status, falls, home environment, and balance ability among 649 older adult participants. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine the associated factors of falls.

RESULTS

The incidence of falls among older adults in Shantou City was 20.65%. Among them, the incidence was 27.27% in urban areas and 16.99% in rural areas. The rate of injury from falls among older adults was 14.48%, with18.61% in urban area and 12.20% in rural area. Multivariate analysis showed that the associated factors of falls among older adults in Shantou City included a high school or below education level ( = 2.387, 95% : 1.305-4.366); non-farming as the previous occupation ( = 2.574, 95% : 1.613-4.109); incontinence( = 2.881, 95% : 1.517-5.470); lack of fall prevention education ( = 1.856, 95% : 1.041-3.311); and reduced balance ability ( = 3.917, 95% : 2.532-6.058).

DISCUSSION

Older adults have a higher rate of falling in Shantou City, compared to the average rate in China. There are similarities and differences in the associated factors of falls among older adults between urban and rural areas of Shantou City. Targeted interventions for older adults in different regions may be more effective in reducing the risk of falls.