Factors Related to Recurrent Falls Among Older Adults Attending Primary Health Care: A Biopsychosocial Perspective

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to investigate factors related to recurrent falls among older adults attending primary health care, considering the biopsychosocial perspective. A representative sample of 201 older adults were interviewed in three Primary Health Care units randomly selected in a city in southeastern Brazil. Outcome included self-report of two or more falls in the past 12 months. Exposures included personal and environmental aspects, according to domains of International Classification of Functioning of the World Health Organization (ICF-WHO). Recurrent falls were reported by 24.4% of the participants. Associations with depressive symptoms (p = .003), having osteoporosis (p = .031), chronic musculoskeletal pain (p = .020), frailty (p = .013), sleep satisfaction (p < .001), and functional status (p < .001) were found. In logistic regression models, cognitive status, musculoskeletal pain, and functional status were predictors of recurrent falls; however, only sleep satisfaction remained significant in the final model. Strategies aimed at preventing recurrent falls in primary health care should consider assessments and interventions targeting sleep aspects among older adults.

Acknowledgments

We thank FAPEMIG (Research Support Foundation of Minas Gerais State) for funding the research project, grant number APQ – 03367-18; and, the CAPES (Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education linked to Brazilian Ministry of Education) for supporting the Graduate Program in Physical Therapy.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes

1. (Table 2)

Table 2. Multivariate logistic regression analysis in blocks, according to ICF domains.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais .