 | The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
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| The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA |
Elizabeth M. Bertera, PhD, National Catholic School of Social Service, The Catholic University of America, Shahan Hall, Washington, DC, DC 20064, 301 603-1467, Bertera@cua.edu
Falls are a major source of morbidity in older adults that can also increase disability and lower quality of life. The purpose of this study is to explore the behavioral and psychological factors that contribute to falls in US residents ages 65 or more. The study is based on self-reported data from a sample of 3485 respondents to the National Survey of Self-Care and Aging. Whether or not the individual had fallen at least once in the past year was the dependent variable. Independent variables included: visual acuity, alcohol use, the number of prescription medications in the past 4 days, depression and memory problems. Regression models were developed to test the associations among predictor variables and risk of falls. The proportion that had fallen in the past year increased significantly from 19.7% for ages 65-74, to 27% for ages 75-84 and 39% for ages 85+ (p<.001). Overall, five behavioral and psychological variables explained 29% of the variance in falls (F=116, p<.001). The strongest predictors were poor visual acuity (.37), memory problems (.13), depression (.09) and number of prescription medications (.07). Separate age analysis indicated that betas increased steadily with each successive age group for poor visual acuity and for depression (p<.001). Findings suggest that health care providers need to include a behavioral and psychological assessment for evaluating older individuals who have fallen. In order to prevent falls, it is important to evaluate factors such as frequency of falling, visual acuity, depression, presence of memory problems, and the number of medications.
Learning Objectives:
Keywords: Prevention,
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.