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. 2024 Dec 12:12:1450745.
doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1450745. eCollection 2024.

Prevalence of falls and associations with family functioning among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China

Si-Yu Sun #  1 , Zhi-Wei Wang #  2 , Zhi-Li Peng #  2 , Le-Xin Yuan  3 , Wen-Hao Yang  1 , Wen-Jian Zhang  4 , Jia-Min Chen  5 , Wei-Quan Lin  5 , Wei Zhu  1   6
Affiliations

Prevalence of falls and associations with family functioning among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China

Si-Yu Sun et al. Front Public Health. .

Abstract

Introduction: Falls are the primary cause of unintentional fatalities among individuals aged 65 and older. Enhancing research on fall prevention among older adults is an urgent priority. Consequently, this study aims to investigate the prevalence and influencing factors of falls among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China, with a particular emphasis on the impact of family functioning.

Methods: We used a multi-stage stratified cluster random sampling technique to successfully survey 2,399 individuals aged 65 and above across 11 districts in Guangzhou City. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, health and lifestyle factors, and fall incidents were collected through telephone interviews. Chi-square tests, Lasso regression, and logistic regression were utilized to pinpoint fall risk factors. Association rule mining uncovered the relationships between falls and associated variables.

Results: A total of 390 participants reported experiencing falls, the prevalence of falls among older adults was 16.3% (95%CI: 14.82% ~ 17.78%). Logistic regression analysis identified several risk factors for falls among older adults: female [OR = 1.511, 95%CI (1.188-1.922)], age 85 years and older [OR = 2.332, 95%CI (1.447-3.758)], stroke [OR = 1.821, 95%CI (1.038-3.192)], hypoglycemia [OR = 1.639, 95%CI (1.228-2.186)], visual impairment [OR = 1.418, 95%CI (1.097-1.833)], need to be cared for [OR = 1.722, 95%CI (1.339-2.215)], chronic pain [OR = 1.663, 95%CI (1.302-2.124)], and anxiety [OR = 1.725, 95%CI (1.243-2.395)]. In addition, it was shown that a well-functioning family was a protective factor against falls [OR = 0.589, 95%CI (0.44-0.789)].

Conclusion: The prevalence of falls among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou City was high, and the influencing factors were complex. It is recommended to develop and implement comprehensive intervention measures for high-risk groups, including those who are females, older adults, and suffer from chronic diseases while paying special attention to the care of family members for older adults.

Keywords: LASSO regression; association rules; falls; family functioning; older adults; risk factors.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Lasso regression analysis of falls among community-dwelling older adult people in Guangzhou, China. (a) LASSO regression cross validation curve plots; (b) LASSO regression variable contraction plot.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Web diagram of falls among community-dwelling older adults in Guangzhou, China.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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