Citation

Kikuchi R, Kozaki K, Kawashima Y, Iwata A, Hasegawa H, Igata A, Toba K. Nippon Ronen Igakkai Zasshi 2008; 45(5): 526-531.

Affiliation

Department of Geriatric Medicine, Kyorin University, School of Medicine.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, Japan Geriatrics Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

19057106

Abstract

AIM: Fall prevention is important for elderly people to maintain their functional independence. We made a longitudinal fall-risk assessment using our"Fall-predicting score"of women who are 60 years or older and who exercised regularly. METHODS: We sent"fall-predicting questionnaires"to 632 elderly women aged 60 years or older (mean 65.0+/-4.3), members of"Miishima gymnastics program", and asked about their fall history of falling in the past year in 2004 and 2005. We performed a logistic regression analysis to determine the future risk factor of falling in 2005. RESULTS: The number of people who fell was 134 (21.2%) in 2004 and 121 (19.1%) in 2005. The number of people who fell decreased in the seventh decade, but increased in the eighth decade, and members for 6-10 years showed most decreased fall rates. Logistic regression analysis revealed that age, falls in 2004,"tripping","cannot squeeze a towel", and"walk steep slope around the house"were significant independent risk factors of"falls in 2005". Logistic regression analysis of non-fallers in 2004 showed that age and"tripping"were the significant independent risk factors of"falls in 2005", and the analysis of people who fell in 2004 showed that age,"tripping","cannot squeeze a towel","walk steep slope around the house", and"taking more than 5 medicines"were significant independent risk factors for falls in 2005. CONCLUSIONS: In regular exercising elderly women, exercise appears to prevent falls in people in the seventh decade and in the members of 6-10 years. Age, past history of falls, and fall-predicting questionnaire were important risk predictors of future falls.

Language: ja