The Prevalence of Different Types of Accidents Among Elderly People Residing in Khorramabad, Iran: A Descriptive-Analytical Study

Abstract

Background: Nowadays, accidents among the elderly are of great importance due to the increasing population of the elderly and the effects of their lifestyles. Objectives: Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of accidents among the elderly in Khorramabad, Iran, during 2016-2017. Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 434 elderly individuals aged 60 years old and older who had experienced accidents and had referred to hospitals in Khorramabad. The census sampling method was used. The data collection instrument was a checklist to investigate the types of accidents among the elderly. Data were entered into SPSS software version 22 and analyzed using the chi-squared test at the significance level of 0.05. Results: The most common types of accidents were falls (64.5%), burns (14.7%), poisoning (14.5%), trauma (6%) and drowning (0.2%). There was a significant difference between the two sexes in terms of type of accident (P = 0.002). The prevalence of the abovementioned incidents was higher in females than males, except for poisoning, which was more common in males. There were no significant relationships among the type of accident with age and the location of the accident. Conclusions: Fall as the most common accident in the elderly calls for the design of preventive programs to enhance both the lifestyle and the safety of the living environment. The higher prevalence of poisoning in men can be attributed to opioid abuse, which is more common among males.