A Research on Functional Status, Environmental Conditions, and Risk of Falls in Dementia

This study aimed to determine the effects of disability, physical activity, and functional status as well as environmental conditions on the risk of falls among the elderly with dementia after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Data were derived from a group including 1210 Malaysian elderly who...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sima Ataollahi Eshkoor, Tengku Aizan Hamid, Siti Sa’adiah Hassan Nudin, Chan Yoke Mun
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2014-01-01
Series:International Journal of Alzheimer's Disease
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2014/769062
Description
Summary:This study aimed to determine the effects of disability, physical activity, and functional status as well as environmental conditions on the risk of falls among the elderly with dementia after adjusting for sociodemographic factors. Data were derived from a group including 1210 Malaysian elderly who were demented and noninstitutionalized. The study was a national cross-sectional survey that was entitled “Determinants of Health Status among Older Malaysians.” Approximately 17% of subjects experienced falls. The results showed that ethnic non-Malay (OR=1.73) and functional decline (OR=1.67) significantly increased the risk of falls in samples (P<0.05). The findings indicated that increased environmental quality (OR=0.64) significantly decreased the risk of falls (P<0.05). Disability, age, marital status, educational level, sex differences, and physical activity were found irrelevant to the likelihood of falls in subjects (P>0.05). It was concluded that functional decline and ethnic non-Malay increased the risk of falls but the increased environmental quality reduced falls.
ISSN:2090-8024
2090-0252