Abstract
Falls by older people present serious problems in every
society. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a
checklist in estimation and reduction of the risk for falls for older
adults in Taiwan. Following literature review, a purposive sample
was used in a cross-sectional design to assess risk factors using a
checklist. Older adults (N ¼ 103) were recruited from three
sheltered housing projects (elderly apartments in Taipei County);
52 individuals had fallen within the past year. A set of significant
risk factors was identified, including physiological, psychological,
environmental, and social dimensions. Members of the fall group
had shorter Functional Reach and took more time to complete
the Get-up and Go test than the control group. Some illnesses and
drugs were associated with an increased risk of fall.
society. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of a
checklist in estimation and reduction of the risk for falls for older
adults in Taiwan. Following literature review, a purposive sample
was used in a cross-sectional design to assess risk factors using a
checklist. Older adults (N ¼ 103) were recruited from three
sheltered housing projects (elderly apartments in Taipei County);
52 individuals had fallen within the past year. A set of significant
risk factors was identified, including physiological, psychological,
environmental, and social dimensions. Members of the fall group
had shorter Functional Reach and took more time to complete
the Get-up and Go test than the control group. Some illnesses and
drugs were associated with an increased risk of fall.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 399-411 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Public Health Nursing |
| Volume | 20 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| Publication status | Published (in print/issue) - 1 Sept 2003 |
Bibliographical note
Hui-Chi Huang is Associate Professor, Meei-Ling Gau is AssociateProfessor, Wen-Chuan Lin is an instructor, National Taipei College of
Nursing, Taipei, Taiwan. George Kernohan is Professor of Health
Research, Public Health Division, School of Nursing, University of Ulster,
Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
Keywords
- older adults
- falls
- risk factor
- checklist
- Functional Reach
- Get-up and Go