Comparison of falls and risk factors among older adults in urban villages, urban and rural areas of Shantou, China

Kaiting Zhang; Zidan Yang; Xiaowei Zhang; Liping Li

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30536

Comparison of falls and risk factors among older adults in urban villages, urban and rural areas of Shantou, China

Heliyon. 2024 Apr 30;10(9):e30536. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e30536. eCollection 2024 May 15.

Authors

Kaiting Zhang^{1

2

3}, Zidan Yang^{1

3

4}, Xiaowei Zhang^{1

3}, Liping Li^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Public Health, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.
² Cancer Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.
³ Injury Prevention Research Center, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.
⁴ Shantou Central Hospital, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate and compare the differences between the incidence of falls, balance and living environment among older persons in urban villages and other types of residential areas.

Methods: We surveyed 580 older adults living in different types of residential areas in Shantou, China, surveying basic information, fall incidence, balance ability testing of older persons, home environment safety assessment.

Results: The incidence of falls among older people in urban villages (19.54 %) was between urban areas(26.63 %) and rural areas(16.91 %). The influencing factors of falls in different residential types were different. Near-fall, abnormal bowel movement, and impaired balance ability were the risk factors of falls among older persons in urban villages. Divorce/single, fair and poor hearing loss and near-fall were the risk factors of falls in urban older adults. Frailty and impaired balance ability were the risk factors of falls in rural older people.

Conclusions: Risk factors for falls in older people vary according to the characteristics of their living areas and relevant interventions should be targeted according to the characteristics of falls occurring in different residential areas.

Keywords: Falls; Residential areas; Risk factors.