Relationships between falls, age, independence, balance, physical activity, and upper limb function in elderly Brazilians

• Main Authors: Daniel Marinho Cezar da Cruz, Tatiane de Carvalho Lima, Lauren Jane Nock, Mirela de Oliveira Figueiredo, Debora Caires Paulisso
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-01-01
• Series: Cogent Medicine
• Subjects: falls prevention; occupational therapy; risk of falls
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/2331205X.2017.1367058

Background: Falls are the most serious and frequent household accidents occurring in the elderly; their prevention is important in decreasing morbidity, mortality, and medical costs. This study aimed to identify and correlate factors such as gender, level of independence in daily activities, balance, physical activity, and function of the upper limbs within the elderly population. Methods: This was a correlational and cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Forty-three elderly participants were selected from a Primary Health Care Unit in the city of São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. Collection instruments included a questionnaire, the Berg Balance Scale, the Functional Independence Measure, and the Box and Blocks Test. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation. Results: Most participants were women (46.5%) between 60 and 70 years old being 58% of the sample. The total number of falls for older women was 31. The number of falls increased proportionally with the increasing age of the participant (r = 0.41) (p = 0.0063). The greater the number of falls, the lower the performance in balance (r = −0.47) (p = 0.0015) and independence (r = −0.63) (p ≤ 0.0001). Conclusion: This study resulted in evidence that can strengthen the development of preventative strategies, focusing on physical activity and its importance in the prevention of falls.