Tamer Ahmed1,2, Carmen-Lucia Curcio3, Mohammad Auais4, Afshin Vafaei5, Catherine M Pirkle6, Ricardo Oliveira Guerra7, Fernando Gomez3. 1. School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. tamer.ibrahim.ahmed@usherbrooke.ca. 2. Department of Community Health Sciences, Centre de Recherche, Hôpital Charles Le Moyne, Université de Sherbrooke, Longueuil, QC, Canada. tamer.ibrahim.ahmed@usherbrooke.ca. 3. Research Group in Geriatrics and Gerontology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad de Caldas, Manizales, Colombia. 4. School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, Canada. 5. Department of Health Sciences, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada. 6. Office of Public Health Studies, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, USA. 7. Department of Physical Therapy, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To investigate a 4-year longitudinal relationship between falls, recurrent falls, and injurious falls, according to different levels of life-space mobility (LSM). METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of an international cohort study. The participants were older adults from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) aged between 65 and 74 years at baseline. Three waves of data (2012, 2014, 2016) were used. Fall history during the past year was recorded. Recurrent fallers were identified as those who fell at least twice and injurious fallers as participants who required medical attention. LSM measurements included Total Life-Space (LS-C), Maximal Life-Space (LS-M), Assisted Life-Space (LS-A), Independent Life-Space (LS-I) and Restricted Life-space (LS-ID) scores. Generalized estimation equation (GEE) models were used to determine whether life-space mobility measures and their change over time differed between recurrence of falls and injurious falls. RESULTS: At baseline, the prevalence of falls in the last year was 28%. 11.8% reported recurrent falls and 2.6% had serious injurious falls in the last year preceding the assessments. Recurrent fallers were more likely to be female, with insufficient income and, with comorbidities. GEE models showed that life-space mobility was lower among those with recurrent falls or serious injurious falls compared to those who never fell, but the rate of change did not differ over the 4-year follow-up except for the LS-A and LS-I scores, where some improvements were observed over time. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Falls were independently associated with a decrease in LSM over 4 years. Targeting older adults with recurrent and injurious falls with appropriate interventions may improve community mobility and social participation.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate a 4-year longitudinal relationship between falls, recurrent falls, and injurious falls, according to different levels of life-space mobility (LSM). METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of an international cohort study. The participants were older adults from the International Mobility in Aging Study (IMIAS) aged between 65 and 74 years at baseline. Three waves of data (2012, 2014, 2016) were used. Fall history during the past year was recorded. Recurrent fallers were identified as those who fell at least twice and injurious fallers as participants who required medical attention. LSM measurements included Total Life-Space (LS-C), Maximal Life-Space (LS-M), Assisted Life-Space (LS-A), Independent Life-Space (LS-I) and Restricted Life-space (LS-ID) scores. Generalized estimation equation (GEE) models were used to determine whether life-space mobility measures and their change over time differed between recurrence of falls and injurious falls. RESULTS: At baseline, the prevalence of falls in the last year was 28%. 11.8% reported recurrent falls and 2.6% had serious injurious falls in the last year preceding the assessments. Recurrent fallers were more likely to be female, with insufficient income and, with comorbidities. GEE models showed that life-space mobility was lower among those with recurrent falls or serious injurious falls compared to those who never fell, but the rate of change did not differ over the 4-year follow-up except for the LS-A and LS-I scores, where some improvements were observed over time. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Falls were independently associated with a decrease in LSM over 4 years. Targeting older adults with recurrent and injurious falls with appropriate interventions may improve community mobility and social participation.
Authors: Fernando Gomez; Maria Victoria Zunzunegui; Beatriz Alvarado; Carmen L Curcio; Catherine M Pirkle; Ricardo Guerra; Alban Ylli; Jack Guralnik Journal: Int J Epidemiol Date: 2018-10-01 Impact factor: 7.196
Authors: Charlotte Beaudart; Jürgen M Bauer; Francesco Landi; Olivier Bruyère; Jean-Yves Reginster; Mickael Hiligsmann Journal: Aging Clin Exp Res Date: 2021-03-05 Impact factor: 3.636