Prevalence and factors associated with falls among older persons in Malaysia

Abstract

Aim Falls are a common problem among older people, leading to major morbidity and increased mortality. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of falls among older persons in Malaysia and its associated factors. Methods Data were obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2018 (NHMS 2018), a cross‐sectional study using stratified cluster sampling design. Older persons were defined as aged ≥60 years in this study. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 25.0. Results Overall, 14.1% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.46, 15.84) of older persons reported having experienced at least one fall during the past 12 months. Univariate analyses revealed an association between the history of falls with not being employed (odds ratio [OR]: 1.35 [95% CI: 1.03, 1.77]), diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.65 [95% CI: 1.33, 2.04]), limitation in activities of daily living (ADL) (OR: 1.90 [95% CI: 1.43, 2.54]) or instrumental ADL (OR: 1.47 [95% CI: 1.16, 1.84]). Multiple logistic regression revealed that falls were positively associated with those who had diabetes mellitus (OR: 1.55 [95% CI: 1.23, 1.94]) and limitation in ADL (OR: 1.56 [95% CI: 1.14, 2.15]); 43.9% of falls occurred outdoors. Conclusion One in six older Malaysian people experience at least one fall over a 12‐month period. Diabetes mellitus and limitation in ADL were the factors associated with falls among older persons. A comprehensive and targeted program designed to reduce risk of falls is urgently needed. Future research should identify suitable programs for our setting to reduce the potential society burden of falls in older Malaysians. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2020; 20: 33–37.

Incidence of accidental falls and development of a fall risk prediction model among elderly patients with diabetes mellitus: A prospective cohort study

“…However, the fall rate was lower than that reported in domestic and foreign studies, such as those in America (37.5%) (Blackwood, 2019) Singapore (17.53%) (Gupta et al, 2017), Malaysia (18.7%) (Sahril et al, 2020) and India (29.1%) (Marmamula et al, 2020)…”

“…In our study period, incidence of accidental falls (9.79%) in elderly diabetic patients was consistent with a cross‐sectional study of 1002 elderly diabetes patients during 6 months in Shandong, China, 11.08% suffered accidental falls (Hong et al, 2020). However, the fall rate was lower than that reported in domestic and foreign studies, such as those in America (37.5%) (Blackwood, 2019) Singapore (17.53%) (Gupta et al, 2017), Malaysia (18.7%) (Sahril et al, 2020) and India (29.1%) (Marmamula et al, 2020). But notably, baseline data also showed that the incidence of falls of these patients in the past one year was 24.0%, which was similar to the above studies.…”

A focus group study to seek the opinions of Malaysian geriatricians, pharmacists, and nurses about education materials on fall-risk-increasing drugs

“…Previous studies reported that the prevalence of falls among OP was approximately 30% in England, Brazil, and Indonesia (Gale et al, 2018;Siqueira et al, 2011;Susilowati et al, 2020). In Malaysia, 24.3%-32.8% of OP residing in nursing homes (Ghazi et al, 2017;Hami et al, 2019;Kioh and Rashid, 2018) and 14.1%-19.7% community-dwelling OP had fallen (Alex et al, 2018;Hami et al, 2019;Ibrahim et al, 2017;Sahril et al, 2020). Fall-related injuries such as fractures, hematoma, and severe laceration are the main consequences of falls that can result in disability, activity limitation, and dependency (Berg and Cassells, 1992).…”

Fear of Falling and its Relationship with Anxiety and Depression Among Older People in Malaysia

“…Most happen between midnight and noon, possibly due to nighttime toileting and increased morning activity (Ministry of Health Malaysia, 2019). In the Malaysian community, it was revealed that one of every six older Malaysians had experienced at least one fall within the previous 12 months (Sahril et al, 2020).…”