Prevalence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling adults in Riyadh area

Aqeel M Alenazi; Maram F Alanazi; Ragab K Elnaggar; Mohammed M Alshehri; Bader A Alqahtani; Ahmed S Alhowimel; Norah A Alhwoaimel; Ahmad D Alanazi; Mazyad A Alotaibi; Sattam M Almutairi; Mohammed S Alghamdi; Saad M Bindawas

doi:10.7717/peerj.16478

Prevalence and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling adults in Riyadh area

PeerJ. 2023 Dec 6:11:e16478. doi: 10.7717/peerj.16478. eCollection 2023.

Affiliations

¹ Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Alkharj, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
² Occupational Therapy, Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
³ Department of Physical Therapy for Pediatrics, Cairo University, Cairo, Giza, Egypt.
⁴ Physical Therapy, Jazan University, Jazan, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Rehabilitation Science, Majmaah University, Majmaah, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Physical Therapy, College of Medical Rehabilitation, Qassim University, Buraydah, Qassim, Saudi Arabia.
⁷ Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah, Saudi Arabia.
⁸ Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to assess fall prevalence, identify related risk factors, and establish cut-off scores for fall risk measures among community-dwelling adults in Riyadh region of Saudi Arabia.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in community, Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A sample of 276 Saudi citizens aged ≥40 years who were able to read and write in Arabic. Fall history and number of falls in the past 12 months were determined via self-reports. Variables assessed included demographic information, self-reported chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and back pain severity.

Results: Participants were classified as either fallers (n = 28, 10.14%) or non-fallers. Fallers were more likely to have arthritis (odds ratio [OR]: 7.60, p = 0.001), back pain (OR: 5.22, p = 0.002), and higher depressive symptom scores (OR: 1.09, p = 0.013) than non-fallers. The number of reported falls was significantly associated with an elevated body mass index (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.09, p = 0.045), arthritis (IRR: 8.74, p < 0.001), back pain (IRR: 4.08, p = 0.005), neurological diseases (IRR: 13.75, p < 0.007), and depressive symptoms (IRR: 1.08, p = 0.005). Cut-off scores predictive of falls associated with back pain and depressive symptoms were 1.5 (sensitivity: 0.61; specificity: 0.79; area under the curve [AUC]: 0.70) and 11.5 score (sensitivity: 0.57; specificity: 0.76; AUC: 0.66), respectively.

Conclusions: The prevalence of falls was relatively low among the individuals considered in this study. Chronic conditions, back pain severity, and depressive symptoms were determined to be associated with falls among community-dwelling individuals in Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Chronic disease; Chronic illness; Depressive symptoms; Elderly; Falling; Falls; Mental health; Middle aged.

MeSH terms

Arthritis* / epidemiology
Back Pain
Chronic Disease
Cross-Sectional Studies
Humans
Independent Living*
Prevalence
Risk Factors

Grants and funding

This study was supported by funding from Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University project number (PSAU/2023/R/1445). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.