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Citation
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Sawa R, Doi T, Tsutsumimoto K, Nakakubo S, Sakimoto F, Matsuda S, Shimada H. J. Gerontol. B Psychol. Sci. Soc. Sci. 2024; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the association between falls and social frailty and its components among older Japanese adults.
METHOD: This is a cross-sectional study. Participants were categorized into three groups based on the number of falls in the past year: no fall (none), a single fall (occasional), and more than one fall (recurrent). The participants who met two or more of the following criteria were defined as socially frail: living alone, going out less frequently compared with the previous year, rarely visiting friends, feeling unhelpful to friends or family, and not talking with someone daily.
RESULTS: A total of 4,495 older Japanese adults living in a community analyzed in this study (51.0% women). Of the participants in this study, 3,851 (85.7%) were categorized as none, 443 (9.9%) as occasional, and 201 (4.5%) as recurrent. The proportion of participants considered socially frail was 11.5% in this study. Recurrent falls were associated with social frailty, even after adjusting for covariates (odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.01-2.19). The experience of recurrent falls was associated with the following components: "feeling unhelpful to friends and family" (OR, 1.62; 95% CI, 1.14-2.31) and "going outside less frequently compared with last year" (OR, 1.57; 95% CI, 1.06-2.31).
DISCUSSION: Among older Japanese adults, recurrent falls were associated with social frailty and with two of its components in particular: social roles and social participation. Future longitudinal studies should be conducted to gain insight into any causal relationships between these variables.
Language: en |