Prevalencia de caídas en adultos mayores y factores asociados en la parroquia Sidcay. Cuenca, 2013.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Health problems derived from the changes in seniors are falls, the prevalence of falls in healthy seniors oscillate from 15-30%. The etiology is multifactorial; there have been identified conditions and precipitating factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of falls in seniors and associated factors intrinsic: chronic diseases, mental status, ambulation; extrinsic: drugs, alcohol, shoes, daily activities, location, condition of the floor , day interval, and not classifiable: previous falls, fear of falling , types of falls, in the Parish Sidcay, Canton Cuenca.

METHODOLOGY: This was a cross-sectional study, the population was established in the seniors of the Parish Sidcay. We worked with 489 seniors. For the recollection of data we used a questionnaire based on the WHO and the "Risk Scale Dowton Falls", the data were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS 15.0, for demographic variables we used the percentage, frequency, and measures of central tendency, to find association prevalence ratio with confidence interval of 95% and for statistical significance with the chi-square p value.

RESULTS: The study included 489 seniors from Sidcay Parish. The prevalence of falls was 33.9%. Had a higher prevalence of falls patients > 74 years (43.1 %), female (40.9%), without partner (45,1 %) and the patients with nutritional disorders (45.5%). The risk of falling according to the Dawton scale was: high risk 32.1% and low risk 67.9%. The falls were higher in patients with: chronic diseases, confused mental state, not safe ambulation with or without aid, drugs consumption, low-risk for alcohol drinking; barefoot walkers and the patients who already had previous falls.

CONCLUSIONS: The research reveals that exists relation between the global prevalence of falls in the seniors with Sidcay Parish, being the major risk factors:> 74 years, being female , without partner , with nutritional diseases , chronic diseases, mental confusion, not safe ambulation with or without aid, drugs consumption , barefoot walkers and that had had previous falls. As reviewed there is a population of older adults at risk either high or low falls, this implies the need to integrate the care of this population safe environment like homes, to suit the user's needs in the physical and thus contribute to reduce falls.

KEYWORDS: falls, seniors, factors associated, security, risk.