Lifestyle Factors Influencing Falls among Older People in Central Kenya
Keywords:
Africa, falls, fractures, injuries, Kenya, Older peopleAbstract
An estimated one-third of the older people worldwide sustain falls every year, which contributes to over 20% of injuries in this age group. In the central region of (Mount) Kenya, despite increasing awareness about this condition, the magnitude as well as the socio-demographic and lifestyle factors leading to falls in the older people are not well known. The main objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence of falls, their outcomes, and the factors influencing their occurrence among older persons aged 65 years and above living in Gatanga Sub-County, Murang’a County, central Kenya. An analytical cross-sectional study design was used. Using systematic random sampling, 403 out of 9247 study participants were identified and interviewed at home. Using a structured interview form, data was collected on socio-demographic, socio-economic, lifestyle, and medical factors, as well as on fall or non-fall status from September 2016 to August 2017. Proportions were used to evaluate the occurrence of falls, lifestyle factors and medical conditions. Pearson’s Chi square and logistic regression were used to evaluate associations between lifestyle and medical exposures and falls outcomes. With 41%, the prevalence of falls amongst the older people in this region is high.
The farming lifestyle involving animal husbandry and medical illnesses are significantly associated with falls. To reduce the occurrence of falls, we need to integrate relevant preventive measures that reduce the risk of falls in communities of the older people in Central Kenya.
References
. "International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision", Icd.who.int, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://icd.who.int/en/. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Yoshida. "A Global Report on Falls Prevention, Epidemiology of Falls", Who.int, 2019. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Falls_prevention7March.pdf. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. C. Gale, C. Cooper and A. Aihie Sayer. (2014.). "Prevalence of frailty and disability: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing", Age and Ageing, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 162-165. Available: 10.1093/ageing/afu148. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. W. Al-Faisal, "Falls Prevention for Older Persons, Eastern Mediterranean Regional Review", Who.int, 2006. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/ageing/projects/EMRO.pdf. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Kalula, M. Ferreira, G. Swingler and M. Badri. (2016.). "Risk factors for falls in older adults in a South African Urban Community", BMC Geriatrics, vol. 16, no. 1. Available: 10.1186/s12877-016-0212-7. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. C. Bekibele and O. Gureje. (2010.) "Fall Incidence in a Population of Elderly Persons in Nigeria", Gerontology, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 278-283. Available: 10.1159/000236327. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. H. Saidi and B. Mutiso. (2013.). "Injury Outcomes in Elderly Patients Admitted at an Urban African Hospital", Surgical Science, vol. 04, no. 06, pp. 292-297. Available: 10.4236/ss.2013.46057. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. Amuyunzu, E. Muniu, L. Mwaura and M. Katsivo. (1997.). "Aetiology and implications of domestic injuries in the elderly.", East Africa Medical Journal, vol. 74, no. 10, pp. 614-617, 1997. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9529739#. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. F. Odhiambo et al. (2013.). "Trauma-Related Mortality among Adults in Rural Western Kenya: Characterising Deaths Using Data from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System", PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 11, p. e79840. Available: 10.1371/journal.pone.0079840. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. V. Stel, J. Smit, S. Pluijm and P. Lips. (2003). "Consequences of falling in older men and women and risk factors for health service use and functional decline", Age and Ageing, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 58-65. Available: 10.1093/ageing/afh028. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. P. Ayoung-Chee, L. McIntyre, B. Ebel, C. Mack, W. McCormick and R. Maier. (2014). "Long-term outcomes of ground-level falls in the elderly", Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery, vol. 76, no. 2, pp. 498-503. Available: 10.1097/ta.0000000000000102. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. Terroso, N. Rosa, A. Torres Marques and R. Simoes. (2013.). "Physical consequences of falls in the elderly: a literature review from 1995 to 2010", European Review of Aging and Physical Activity, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 51-59, 2013. Available: 10.1007/s11556-013-0134-8. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Pin and D. Spini. (2016). "Impact of falling on social participation and social support trajectories in a middle-aged and elderly European sample", SSM - Population Health, vol. 2, pp. 382-389. Available: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2016.05.004. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. K. Hartholt et al. (2012.). "Costs of falls in an ageing population: A nationwide study from the Netherlands (2007–2009)", Injury, vol. 43, no. 7, pp. 1199-1203, 2012. Available: 10.1016/j.injury.2012.03.033. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. J. Stevens and E. Sogolow. (2005.). "Gender differences for non-fatal unintentional fall related injuries among older adults", Injury Prevention, vol. 11, no. 2, pp. 115-119, 2005. Available: 10.1136/ip.2004.005835. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. A. Bergland and T. Wyller. (2004.). "Risk factors for serious fall related injury in elderly women living at home", Injury Prevention, vol. 10, no. 5, pp. 308-313. Available: 10.1136/ip.2003.004721. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. J. Stewart Williams et al. (2015.). "Prevalence, risk factors and disability associated with fall-related injury in older adults in low- and middle-income countries: results from the WHO Study on global AGEing and adult health (SAGE)", BMC Medicine, vol. 13, no. 1. Available: 10.1186/s12916-015-0390-8. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Faulkner and D. Burns, "Identifying modifiable environmental risk factors for falls in older people", British Medical Journal, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://injuryprevention.bmj.com/content/16/Suppl_1/A254.3.info. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. D. Lee, E. Pritchard, F. McDermott and T. Haines. (2013.). "Falls prevention education for older adults during and after hospitalization: A systematic review and meta-analysis", Health Education Journal, vol. 73, no. 5, pp. 530-544. Available: 10.1177/0017896913499266. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. "WHO Global Report on Falls Prevention in Older Age", Who.int, 2007. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/Falls_prevention7March.pdf. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Kalula, "A WHO Global Report on Falls among Older Persons Prevention of falls in older persons: Africa case study", Who.int, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.who.int/ageing/projects/AFRO.pdf.
. "2009 Population and Housing Census", Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, 2010. [Online]. Available: https://www.knbs.or.ke/publications/. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. Rahimzadeh and M. Pourhoseingholi. (2013.). "Sample size calculation in medical studies", PubMed Central (PMC), 2013. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017493/. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. “Exploring Kenya’s inequality: Pulling apart or pooling together?”, Kenya National Bureau of Statistics ISBN-978-9966-029-17-1. Available: https://www.knbs.or.ke/publications/ [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. Cesari et al. (2014.). "A Self-Reported Screening Tool for Detecting Community-Dwelling Older Persons with Frailty Syndrome in the Absence of Mobility Disability: The FiND Questionnaire", PLoS ONE, vol. 9, no. 7, p. e101745. Available: 10.1371/journal.pone.0101745. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. Kaiser MJ et al, (2009.). "Validation of the Mini Nutritional Assessment short-form (MNA-SF): a practical tool for identification of nutritional status”, Journal of Nutritional Health and Aging, Vol: 13, no. 5, pp. 782-788. [Online]. Available: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19812868. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. B. Vellas et al. (1999.). "The mini nutritional assessment (MNA) and its use in grading the nutritional state of elderly patients", Nutrition, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 116-122, 1999. Available: 10.1016/s0899-9007(98)00171-3. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. McHugh (2013. "The Chi-square test of independence", Biochemia Medica, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 143-149. Available: 10.11613/bm.2013.018. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. S. Sperandei. (2014.). "Understanding logistic regression analysis", Biochemia Medica, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 12-18. Available: 10.11613/bm.2014.003. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. "KEMRI Scientific and Ethics Review Unit, Standard Operating Procedures (SERU SOPs)", Kemri.org, 2016. [Online]. Available: https://www.kemri.org/images/joomlart/documents/Final%20SERU%20SOPs_27%20Sep%202016%20(3).pdf. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. M. Kamel, A. Abdulmajeed and S. Ismail. (2013.). "Risk factors of falls among elderly living in Urban Suez - Egypt", Pan African Medical Journal, vol. 2. Available: 10.11604/pamj.2013.14.26.1609. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
. P. Garcia, J. Dias, S. Silva and R. Dias. (2015.). "Prospective monitoring and self-report of previous falls among older women at high risk of falls and fractures: a study of comparison and agreement", Brazilian Journal of Physical Therapy, vol. 19, no. 3, pp. 218-226, 2015. Available: 10.1590/bjpt-rbf.2014.0095. [Accessed: 16- Sep- 2019].
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors who submit papers with this journal agree to the following terms.
