Resumo

ROMERO, Camilo  e  URIBE, Manuel. Risk factors of falls in institutionalized elderly people. Rev. Cienc. Salud [online]. 2004, vol.2, n.2, pp.91-110. ISSN 1692-7273.

The objective is to determine the risk factors predictors of falls in institutionalized elderly people. Methodology: Analysis of data from a longitudinal cohort study. Subjects: Institutionalized elderly volunteers residents of a nursing home in Arbelaez, Colombia enrolled and followed for six months (N= 116; mean age: 78 years). Main outcome measures: Falls detected via nurses reports and medical records. Independent variables: Baseline measures of demographics, medical history, drug intake, depression, mental state, visual acuity, orthostatic hypotension, body mass index, cardiovascular state, limb deformities, limb strength, tone, trophism, rage of motion, Romberg, one leg balance test, Get Up and Go test and timed Get Up and Go test. Evaluation of home facilities by the TESS-NH and SCUEQS scales. Results: Over the six month follow-up 36% experienced a fall. All none injurious falls. The independent significant predictors of all falls using logistic regression were female gender, history of dizziness and an abnormal one leg balance test. With coefficient B values of 1.029, 2.024 and 1.712, respectively. Conclusion: The female gender, the history of dizziness and abnormal one-leg balance test appear to be the main and significant predictors of falls in institutionalized elderly persons. However, no single factor seems to be accurate enough to be relied on as a sole predictor of fall risk because so many diverse factors are involved in falling.

Palavras-chave : Accidental falls; elderly; risk factors; dizziness; one leg balance.

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