Fall among physically active elderly in senior housings, Bangkok, Thailand: situations and perceptions

Abstract

PurposeA mixed-method study aimed to assess situations in which falls occur including prevalence and associated risk factors of falls among physically active elderly who are at risk of experiencing a fall in senior housings, Bangkok, Thailand, and their perceptions regarding falls.Patients and methodsIn the first phase, a cross-sectional study was conducted on 64 physically active elderly senior housing residents. Data on sociodemographics, health status, Barthel Index (BI) of activities of daily living, and fall experiences were collected through face-to-face interviews. Data on balance scores were obtained from Time Up and Go (TUG) test and Berg Balance Scale (BBS). In the second phase, a qualitative study was conducted on 41 physically active elderly who had experienced falls. Data regarding perception on falls, fall preventions, and fall management, were gathered through in-depth interviews from November 2017 to December 2017.ResultsThe prevalence of falls among participants in senior housings was 64.1%. Univariate analysis found that a higher BI was associated with fall (P<0.004). Multivariate analysis using binary logistic regression showed that a higher BI (OR=6.00, 95% CI=1.24–29.10) together with ≥2 environmental hazards (OR=6.33, 95% CI=1.24–32.29) were associated with fall. The result from content analysis indicated that the elderly were aware that they were at risk of fall. In addition, the elderly also perceived that fall could be avoided even though they did not know how to prevent it.ConclusionThe prevalence of fall among physically active elderly in senior housings was relatively high. A higher BI scale and having ≥2 environmental hazards were associated risk factors of falls. Although the elderly perceived that fall could be avoided, they did not know how to prevent it. The intervention that focuses on environmental modification, balancing enchantment, and education on fall prevention is highly required.

Predictive validity of three home fall hazard assessment tools for older adults in Thailand

“…In addition, the two abbreviated versions of the Thai-HFHAT (44 items and 27 items) were developed post hoc based on two data-driven methods. The 44-item version was developed based on multivariable Cox regression modeling, while the 27-item version was developed based on the frequent home fall hazards question items identified by the participants and relevant to the Thailand context [ 5 , 32 ]. Details of these two data-driven methods are provided later in the Statistical Analysis” subsection and S2 Table .…”

“…This resulted in the first abbreviated version of the Thai-HFHAT, with 44 question items ( S2 Table ). For the development of the abbreviated Thai-HFHAT (27 items), question items about home fall hazards in the abbreviated Thai-HFHAT (44 items) that were frequently reported in the Thailand context [ 5 , 32 ] and identified by at least 80% of the participants were selected. These items included 10 items for flooring, 3 items for furniture, 1 item for lighting, 7 items for bathrooms, 1 item for storage, 2 items for stairways/steps, 1 item for mobility, 1 item for shoes and 1 item for animals, resulting in 27 items remaining in this abbreviated version ( S2 Table ).…”

Prevalence and Risk Factors for Fall among Rural Elderly: A County-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

“…Also, severe or extreme problems in sleeping, alcohol abuse, a fall history, and the fear of falling are the risk factor for falls [ 13 ]. The fall risk among the elderly is closely related to the activities of daily living (ADL) capability, obesity, physical activity habits, poor living conditions, and environmental factors [ 14 ].…”

Risk of fall among older adults and its association with cognitive impairment in a semi-urban community

“…[ 6 ] In contrast to these findings, age and gender did not show any association with the risk of fall in a report from Thailand among residents in senior housings. [ 18 ] Education was not influencing the risk of fall in our participants, but lower risk of fall was found with more years of education in other studies. [ 17 ]…”