A study on health status, fear of falling and falls of elderly people living alone at Sanchong City, Taipei County

• Main Authors: Huang Min-Bi, 黃明碧
• Other Authors: Chen, Li-Mei
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2010
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/2vn3u7

碩士 === 輔仁大學 === 公共衛生學系碩士班 === 98 === The purpose of this study is to investigate elderly people living alone in Sanchong City to understand their participation in leisure activities, factors influencing those activities, and their satisfaction to those activities. All 180 solitary elderly in the managed cared lists of the Sanchong City Office were included in the study, with the exclusion of the dead during the study period. Personal interview was conducted from 2009.7.1 to 2009.8.31 using structured questionnaire. 131 people (72.8%) completed the interview. Major results were listed below: First, the epidemiological results showed the elderly living alone in Sanchong City were mostly male. The mean age was 78.89 with more people over 80. The educational status was mostly below junior high school. 80% of them were unmarried or their spouses were not living together. Most of them have religion. Occupation before retirement was business or being a veteran in most. And most of them live on government subsidies. Second, 84% elderly people living alone in Sanchong city had at least one chronic illness. Hypertension, eye disease and arthritis were the most. The assessment tool showed difficulties in claiming stairs and preparation for meals. Third, half of the elderly living alone in Sanchong city felt difficult on bending, squatting and standing afterwards. While walking, 48 people (36.6%) had unsteady gait. 57 people (45%) needed walker to assist. 87 people (66.4%) were afraid of falling. In recent 3 months, 23 people (17.6%) had the experience of fall which took places in bedrooms, restrooms, living rooms, kitchens, pavements and streets. The occasions of falling occurred mostly when they were walking or standing up from seats. Fourth, significant factors related to fear from falling are 『sex』,『 being married』,『self-awareness of health』,『being ill』, 『history of falling in 3 months』, 『squatting and standing afterwards』, 『bending』, 『steadiness of gait』, 『walker user』, 『eye vision』, 『ADL』, 『IADL』 and so forth. Risk factors to fear from falling are 『history of falling in 3 months』（OR=6.65；95%CI=1.03-43.07） and 『being ill』（OR=4.43；95%CI=1.03-19.13）. Fifth, significant factors related to falling are 『squatting and standing afterwards』, 『steadiness of gait』, 『walker user』, 『fear from falling』, 『claiming stairs』, 『shopping』and so on. Those with poor ADL suffered more falling.（OR=7.31；95%CI=1.36-39.26）。 Above all, it is imperative to make plans to keep the solitary elderly from falling. Chronic disease management and implementation of preventive strategies to falling should be highly ranked.