Citation

Logiudice DC, Smith K, Atkinson D, Dwyer A, Lautenschlager N, Almeida OA, Flicker L. Intern. Med. J. 2010; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Western Australian Centre for Health and Ageing , Perth, Western Australia.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2010, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1445-5994.2010.02332.x

PMID

20681958

Abstract

Objectives: To report on the prevalence of falls, urinary incontinence, pain and associated factors in remote living Indigenous Australians over the age of 45 years Method: A cross sectional, semi- purposeful sample of 363 Indigenous men and women aged over 45 years living in 6 remote communities and 1 town in Kimberley, Australia. Participants were assessed for self or informant reported rates of falls, urinary incontinence, and pain. Results: The prevalence of self or informant reported falls was 31% (95% CI 25.3, 36.7), pain 55% (95%CI 47.4, 62.6) and urinary incontinence 9% (95%CI 5.9, 12.1%). Associations); with falls after adjustment for age, gender and education included alcohol use (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.4,4.2), stroke (OR 2.4, 95% CI 1.1, 5.0), epilepsy (OR 3.5, 95% CI 1.1, 11.6), head injury (OR 2.1, 95% CI 1.3, 3.3) and poor hearing (OR 2.5, 95% CI 1.4, 4.1); for urinary incontinence epilepsy (OR 6.0, 95% CI 1.7, 21.2) and stroke (OR 16.7, 95% CI 6.0. 46.3); and for pain, poor hearing (OR 1.9, 95% CI 1.0, 3.3) and female gender (OR 1.8, 95% CI 1.2, 2.7). Conclusions. Falls, urinary incontinence and pain are common and reported for the first time in older Indigenous people living in remote regions. The presence of these syndromes in ages over 45 may be due to accumulation of health insults during the life course.

Language: en