Citation

Jørgensen V, Butler Forslund E, Opheim A, Franzén E, Wahman K, Hultling C, Seiger Å, Ståhle A, Stanghelle JK, Skavberg Roaldsen K. J. Physiother. 2017; 63(2): 108-113.

Affiliation

Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Physiotherapy, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Research, Sunnaas Rehabilitation Hospital, Nesodden, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Australian Physiotherapy Association)

DOI

10.1016/j.jphys.2016.11.010

PMID

28343914

Abstract

QUESTION: What is the 1-year incidence of falls and injurious falls in a representative cohort of community-dwelling ambulatory people with chronic spinal cord injury? What are the predictors of recurrent falls (more than two/year) and injurious falls in this population? DESIGN: One-year longitudinal observational multi-centre study. PARTICIPANTS: A representative sample of 68 (of 73 included) community-dwelling ambulatory people with traumatic spinal cord injury attending regular follow-up programs at rehabilitation centres. OUTCOME MEASURES: Primary outcome measures were incidence and predictors of recurrent falls (more than two/year) and injurious falls reported every 2 weeks for 1year.

RESULTS: A total of 48% of participants reported recurrent falls. Of the 272 reported falls, 41% were injurious. Serious injuries were experienced by 4% of participants, all of whom were women. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that recurrent falls in the previous year (OR 111, 95% CI 8.6 to 1425), fear of falling (OR 6.1, 95% CI 1.43 to 26) and longer time taken to walk 10m (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.7) were predictors of recurrent falls. Fear of falling (OR 4.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 14) and recurrent falls in the previous year (OR 4.2, 95% CI 1.2 to 14) were predictors of injurious falls.

CONCLUSION: Ambulatory people with a spinal cord injury have a high risk of falling and of fall-related injuries. Fall history, fear of falling and walking speed could predict recurrent falls and injurious falls. Further studies with larger samples are needed to validate these findings. [Jørgensen V, Butler Forslund E, Opheim A, Franzén E, Wahman K, Hultling C, Seiger Å, Ståhle A, Stanghelle JK, Skavberg Roaldsen K (2017) Falls and fear of falling predict future falls and related injuries in ambulatory people with spinal cord injury: a longitudinal observational study. Journal of PhysiotherapyXX: XX-XX].

Copyright © 2017 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Language: en

Keywords

Accidental falls; Fall-related injury; Incidence; Incomplete spinal cord injury; Multivariate logistic regression