Factors associated with risk, perception and knowledge of falls in elderly people

• Main Authors: Lidia Ferreira de Souza (Author), Ruth Ester Assayag Batista (Author), Cássia Regina Vancini Camapanharo (Author), Paula Cristina Pereira da Costa (Author), Maria Carolina Barbosa Teixeira Lopes (Author), Meiry Fernanda Pinto Okuno (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 1983-1447; 10.1590/1983-1447.2022.20200335
• Keywords: Aged. Accidental falls. Emergency service; hospital. Hospitals.; Nursing; RT1-120
• Source: Revista Gaúcha de Enfermagem, Vol 43 (2022)

ABSTRACT Objective: To verify the factors associated with risk, perception, and knowledge of falls; and pain among older adults. Method: A cross-sectional study carried out in the Emergency Service of a teaching hospital in the city of São Paulo between September 2019 and March 2020. We selected 197 older adults aged 65 and over, who were not disoriented or confused, of both genders. The instruments Awareness Questionnaire on the Risk of Falls, Morse Fall Scale and Numerical Pain Scales were applied. Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used. Results: Interviewees with a high risk of falls in older adults (p = 0.0041); those with a support network had a lower perception and knowledge about the risk of falls (p = 0.0025) and lower percentage of severe pain (p = 0.0033). Conclusion: Factors associated with risk, perception and knowledge of falls and pain among older adults were age, family income, number of dependents, caregiver, support network, hypertension, impaired walking, antihypertensive medication, lipid-lowering medication, level of education, comorbidities and religion.