Luo Ye, Liu Yuanfei, Tan Suxian, Xu Tian, Bao Guanjun
Quzhou College of Technology, Zhejiang, China.
The Second Affiliated Hospital Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
SAGE Open Med. 2025 Apr 27;13:20503121251335811. doi: 10.1177/20503121251335811. eCollection 2025.
Evidence regarding patients' perception of fall risk is scarce. This study aimed to investigate the current situation and the associated factors of patients' perception of fall risk, explore the mechanisms, and identify the subgroup of patients who may be at greater risk of having an erroneous perception.
Participants were recruited from three wards of two tertiary general hospitals in China. Three-step multiple linear regression analyses were conducted including the demographic characteristics, health status factors, and fall-related factors as independent variables and Fall Risk Perception Questionnaire scores as dependent variable. The interactions of age, gender, and ward with fall-related factors were explored to test the potential moderating effects. We also examined the mediating role of fear of falling in the relationship of previous falls and age and perception of fall risk.
Patients who were in their older age, female, from endocrinology ward, had comorbidities, ambulatory aids, and fear of falling demonstrated a higher perception of fall risk which may or may not align with their actual risk of fall. The impact of previous fall injuries on perception of fall risk was significantly higher in older adults. The effects of fall-related training on patients' perception of fall risk varied across wards. The fear of falling is a significant mediator between age and perception of fall risk.
By understanding the self-perception of fall risk, health professionals would identify the population at higher risk of having an erroneous perception of their fall risk. This study increases health professional's awareness and informs administrators to design and implement effective intervention and strategies that target patients' perception of fall risk to promote patient safety.
关于患者对跌倒风险认知的证据匮乏。本研究旨在调查患者对跌倒风险认知的现状及相关因素，探索其机制，并识别可能存在错误认知风险较高的患者亚组。
在中国两家三级综合医院的三个病房招募参与者。进行了三步多元线性回归分析，将人口统计学特征、健康状况因素和跌倒相关因素作为自变量，将跌倒风险感知问卷得分作为因变量。探讨年龄、性别和病房与跌倒相关因素的相互作用，以检验潜在的调节作用。我们还检验了跌倒恐惧在既往跌倒、年龄与跌倒风险认知关系中的中介作用。
年龄较大、女性、来自内分泌病房、患有合并症、使用辅助行动器具且害怕跌倒的患者对跌倒风险的认知较高，这可能与他们实际的跌倒风险相符，也可能不符。既往跌倒损伤对老年人跌倒风险认知的影响显著更高。跌倒相关培训对患者跌倒风险认知的影响因病房而异。跌倒恐惧是年龄与跌倒风险认知之间的重要中介因素。
通过了解跌倒风险的自我认知，医护人员能够识别出对自身跌倒风险存在错误认知风险较高的人群。本研究提高了医护人员的意识，并告知管理人员设计和实施针对患者跌倒风险认知的有效干预措施和策略，以促进患者安全。
