Risk factors for falls among community-dwelling older adults during voluntary self-isolation: analysis based on frailty screening index subscales.
Akihiko Murayama, Daisuke Higuchi, Kosuke Saida and 2 others
PMID 35400832WHAT IT FOUND
Saying they walked slower than before was the only frailty question independently linked with recent falls among older adults surveyed during voluntary self-isolation.
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Key findings
01The analysis included 1,040 community-dwelling older adults, 120 in the fall group and 920 in the non-fall group.
02After adjustment, answering yes to walking slower than before was the only remaining factor significantly associated with falls, with odds ratio 1.74 and 95% confidence interval 1.16 to 2.62.
03The fall and non-fall groups also differed in total Frailty Screening Index score and in the sub-items about walking slower than before and weekly walking exercise.
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What it does not show
The study was cross-sectional, so it can show only associations at one time point and cannot prove that perceived slower walking caused falls. Falls and frailty responses were self-reported by mail, and walking speed was not measured objectively, so recall and self-perception may affect the results. The sample was limited to community-dwelling older adults in one Japanese city who were not applying for long-term care insurance, so it may not apply to more frail or institutionalised patients. The authors lacked biometric and other characteristic information, which limits generalizability. The adjusted regression focused on items that had already shown significant group differences, so other possible fall-related factors were not fully explored.
Declared interests
This work was supported by the Nippon Life Insurance Foundation and the Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the significant association as proof that perceived slower walking causes falls. This was a cross-sectional survey of self-reported falls and self-reported walking speed, so it shows an association, not cause.