Impact of a fall in the elderly: an analysis of the risk factors

Authors

  • Deivson Wendell da Costa Lima
  • Alyne Mara Maia Cruz
  • Fabíola Maria Pitombeira de Morais
  • Arthur Dyego de Morais Torres
  • Maria Célia de Freitas

Keywords:

Elderly, Accidental Falls, Quality of Life, Risk Factors.

Abstract

One aimed to identify the risk factors associated to falls in the elderly, which reflect on their quality of life. This is a descriptive, cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was used to collect data from older adults of an active living group from Russas-CE during the period from August to December 2011. The data were inserted in electronic spreadsheets, analyzed by the descriptive statistics and submitted to odds ratio and chi-square tests with significance level p<0.05. The results indicate a high prevalence of falls in the elderly, especially women (OR:14.636; CI- 2.82-75.954). The intrinsic significant factors were hearing problems (p=0,02) and foot problems (p=0,01). The extrinsic factors were steps in the door (17%), resulting in fractures of the upper limb (69%), morbidity (41%) and psychological complaints (70%). Therefore, it is necessary the development of preventive and rehabilitation actions, ensuring a better quality of life for the elderly.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.15253/2175-6783.2013000500009

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Published

2013-10-19

How to Cite

Lima, D. W. da C., Cruz, A. M. M., Morais, F. M. P. de, Torres, A. D. de M., & Freitas, M. C. de. (2013). Impact of a fall in the elderly: an analysis of the risk factors. Rev Rene, 14(5). Retrieved from http://www.periodicos.ufc.br/rene/article/view/3622

Issue

Section

Research Article

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