Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 Jul;11(7):3956-3960.
doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1580_21. Epub 2022 Jul 22.

Prevalence of fall and associated risk factors among the elderly living in a rural area of Kolar

Venkateshappa Bhoomika  1 , Muninarayana Chandrappa  1 , Mahendra M Reddy  1
Affiliations

Prevalence of fall and associated risk factors among the elderly living in a rural area of Kolar

Venkateshappa Bhoomika et al. J Family Med Prim Care. 2022 Jul.

Abstract

Background: Falls in elderly persons are one of the leading causes of death. Falls are responsible for 10-15% of all emergency department visits among elderly. The study was conducted to determine the prevalence of falls in rural areas and to assess the various socio-demographic factors associated with falls.

Methodology: It was a community-based, cross-sectional study conducted in Rural Health Training Centre (RHTC), Devarayanasamudra, Department of Community Medicine, among the elderly persons aged ≥ 60 years. The total sample size was 511, calculated using a previous study using OpenEpi software. The data were collected using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire. The period prevalence of falls was assessed by asking for history of falls in the past 12 months. Chi-square and regression analysis were performed with statistically significant P value defined as less than 0.05.

Results: Out of 511 elderly persons aged ≥60 years, females accounted for about 54.8% and most of them were of 60-69 years age-group. The majority of the study subjects were illiterates (77.3%), and most of them were married (77.2%). The prevalence of falls in elderly persons was 46.8%. The elderly aged ≥70 years, females, chronic diseases, and use of walking aid were observed to have a statistically significant association with falls (p < 0.005).

Conclusion: Elderly falls are very common. The primary healthcare providers in rural areas play an important role in prevention of falls in elderly. Caregivers, along with elderly, should be given more detailed health education related to fall prevention.

Keywords: Elderly fall; risk factors; rural.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

References

    1. World Population Prospects. 2004 Revision, United Nations New York. 2005. [last accessed on 2021 Mar 30]. pp. 1–28. Available from: http://www.un.org/esa/population/publications/WPP2004/2004Highlight_fina... .
    1. Registrar General of India. Census 2011. Ministry of Home Affairs. 2011. [Last accessed on 2021 Mar 30]. Available from: http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011Documents/mccd_Report1/mccd%202011.pdf .
    1. Mellor D, Russo S, McCabe M, Davison T, George K. Depression training program for caregivers of elderly care recipients. J Gerontol Nurs. 2008;34:8–15. - PubMed
    1. Gureje O, Ogunniyi A, Kola L, Afolabi E. Functional disability in elderly Nigerians:Results from the Ibadan study of aging. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006;54:1784–89. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Donmez L, Gokkoca Z, Dedeoglu N. Disability, and its effects on quality of life among older people living in Antalya city center, Turkey. Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 2005;40:213–23. - PubMed