• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.21-34
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• 2010

Objectives: The objective of this study was to investigate risk factors for falls in the elderly by life-cycle. Methods: This study used the data on 435 male and female elderly generated from a survey taken at 21 Welfare Centers for the Elderly in Seoul. The incidence of demographic characteristics, physical changes brought about with ageing, health-related behavior, chronic diseases, and environmental characteristics on falls in the elderly was analyzed. Hierarchical Logistic Regression analysis was also conducted to investigate the incidence by life-cycle (early-mid-late stage) and the results were used for predicting falls. Results: The incidence of risk factors on falls varied across life-cycle. Among the elderly in the early (ages from 65 through 74), marital status, the existence of a companion, the quality of sleep, the chronic diseases, and the condition of the bathroom floor were found to be related to falls. Among those in the mid-stage (ages from 75 through 84), sex, marital status, the existence of a companion, hearing capacity, sense of balancing, chronic diseases, the exclusive use of rooms, and the side bar with bath tub were found to affect falls. Finally, for the elderly in their late stage (85 years of age and older), drinking and vision were found to be related to falls. Conclusion: The incidence of risk factors on falls was found to vary according the stage in the elderly. A key implication of this finding is that falls prevention programs and interventions must be catered to specific age sub-groups.

• Korea Journal of Hospital Management
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.51-58
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• 2021

Purpose: This study is based on the results of previous studies that falls, which is a frequent social problem, causes physical, mental and social health problems in the elderly. In order to identify risk factors for falls in the elderly, this study derives a relationship with oral health and proposes the necessity of oral health care as part of countermeasures to prevent falls in the elderly. Methodology: The final 6,936 people were analysed using the 2018 Korean Longitudinal Study of Ageing(KLoSA) survey data, and the analysis was conducted using the multiple logistic and multiple regression analysis to investigate the relationship between Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (GOHAI) and falls experience. Findings: As a result of the analysis in this study, the number of falls experiences and whether or not falls were higher in the elderly female group than in the male group. The likelihood of falls experience has been statistically reduced as Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index increases by one unit.(OR : 0.991) The number of falls has also been statistically reduced as Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index increase by one unit.(B : -0.001) Practical Implications: The results of this study, which showed that higher Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index was lower risk of falls, explained by the connection that oral health may affect nutritional intake, which leads to sarcopenia and physical loss, which in turn increases the risk of falls. As a way to solve the fall problem, efforts should be made to improve the oral health of the elderly, and furthermore, the importance of nutrition management thorugh oral health care of the elderly is increasd.

• The Korean Journal of Rehabilitation Nursing
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.107-113
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for falls among the elderly living in community. Method: This was a descriptive study. The subjects comprised 80 elderly aged 65 years or over living in D city. The instruments used for this study was the MDS-HC V2.0. The data was analyzed by SPSS Win 14.0 using t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation. Result: Among the socio-demographic characteristics, the significant differences were found in ADL by gender and marital status. Older elderly(${\geq}85$) used more medications than other elderly. The elderly were use average 4.33 medications, but 46.3% of the subjects didn't have the physician reviewed all medications. There was statistically significant correlation between number of medications and accidental falls. Conclusion: Nurses should inspect about the number of medications, drug interaction, and side effects. It would be preventive intervention for falls in elderly.

• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.249-260
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• 2005

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze the realities related with the in-home falls of the elderly and also the factors that affect on the fails. Method: The data collection was carried out from January 10 to 13, 2005. The subjects of this study were 201 in-home elderly people over age 60 who resided at G city of Jeollabuk-do. Result: The following are the results from the analysis of collected data with using the SPSS program. 1. The number of people who experienced fall injuries was 51.7% within three years. Most cases of falls occurred in winter (52.4%), on roads (52.9%), wearing sports shoes (56.7%), when walking (56.7%), loosing their balance (54.8%), and slipping (54.8%). 2. The factors yielding the difference between the groups of elderly with the experience of fail injury and the group of elderly with no experience of falls showed a statistical significance for gender (p=.000), last academic career (p=.049), and number of people in the family (p=.041). 3. Among the factors related with health, the factors yielding the difference between the group of elderly with the experience of falls and the group of elderly with no experience of fails showed statistical significance for drinking (p=.015), dizziness (p=.000) and level of drug intakes (p=.015). 4. The elderly with the experience of fall injury as compared with the group of aged people with no experience of falls showed a higher degree of depression (p=.009). 5. From the result of logistic regression analysis to explore the factors affecting the experience of fall injury, it was found that there was a significant result for gender (p=.002) and depression (p=.018). Women as compared with men and the elderly with depression showed a higher rate of danger in falls. Conclusion: Based on the above results, it is expected that fall prevention programs are needed with regard to the general characteristics and health related characteristics, that is, the individual danger factors should be focused on such depression and gender as being the most important variables affecting the experience of falls.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.1-18
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• 2008

Objectives: The objective of this study is to identify the gender differences of risk factors for falls among the elderly in community dwellings. Methods: We analyzed the data on 3,278(male 1,255, female 2,023) persons, including 497 persons who have experienced falls, drawn from the 2004 National Elderly Survey. We conducted a cross-tabulation analysis, $X^2$-test and hierarchical regression analysis of the impact of the socio-economical characteristics, environmental characteristics, the number of chronic diseases, usage of supplementary devices, activities of daily living, dementia, and the severity of problem behavior. Results: For the entire sample of the elderly, gender, age, the size of the cities of residence, the number of chronic diseases, and the severity of problem behavior were identified as risk factors for falls. The number of chronic diseases and the severity of problem behavior were found to be significant for the male subsample, while age, the size of cities of residence, dwelling types, and the number of chronic diseases were found to be significant for the female subsample. Conclusion: The number of chronic diseases was identified as a common risk factor for falls in the male and female elderly. Chronic diseases were also found to aggravate the risk for falls when they concur with other diseases.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.14-22
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• 2007

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of falls, the fear of falling and fall efficacy and identify the predictors of falls in the elderly at senior citizens' centers. Method: The subjects of this study were 106 elders who used senior citizens' centers in Chungcheongbuk-do, Korea. Data were collected from May to June, 2006 through a survey using a structured questionnaire. Result: Of the elderly sampled, 35.8% experienced falls during the last 1 year. Of falls experienced by the elderly, 53% occurred indoors, 47% outdoors, 15.8% in the bathroom or toilet. In addition, 57.8% of the elderly had injuries on the hip and waist related with falls. The fear of falling was higher in those with experience in falls than in those without. Factors affecting the elders' falls were age (OR=1.113, 95% CI=1.012-1.224), the number of chronic disease (OR=2.342, 95% CI=1.365-4.019) and the fear of falling (OR=4.279, 95% CI=1.901-9.634). The predictor of the frequency of falls was fall efficacy ($R^2=24.9$). Conclusion: As a result, it is essential to develop fall prevention programs based on the fear of falling, fall efficacy, chronic diseases and medication state. And in senior citizens' centers, fall prevention safety education should be activated as a health promotion program.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.50-62
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• 2011

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and influencing factors of falls in the institutionalized elderly. Method: A descriptive survey design was used with a convenience sampling of 430 institutionalized elderly. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Results: The falls rate after admission in institution was 8.4%. Types of injury after falls were mostly contusion and fracture. Interventions for fall prevention were environmental management and regular evaluation of risk factors for falls. Fall experience was significantly different according to admission periods. Type of falls was significantly different according to state of ADL. Predictors for falls were longer admission periods and dependent state in ADL. Conclusion: Falls is important health related problem in the institutionalized elderly, so effective fall prevention program is needed for their health promotion.

• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of falls and identify risk factors associated with falls. Methods: The participants were 233 community-dwelling elderly people in two cities. Data were collected by interviewing the elderly with structured questionnaires from May to June, 2012. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Age, educational level, living arrangement, health status, the use of assistive devices, the number of medication, hypertension, arthralgia, dizziness, fall efficacy, fear of falling, activity of daily living, and quality of life were significant associated with fall experience. Through multiple logistic regression analysis, arthralgia, dizziness, fall efficacy, and fear of falling were identified as significant predictors of falls. Conclusion: It is important to identify the risk factors for falls among the elderly living in community. Fall prevention interventions should be multifactorial, especially for the elderly who were identified as the high risk group.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.13 no.12
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• pp.276-290
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• 2013

PURPOSE: This study compared the elderly falls and the intrinsic fall risk factors according to gender. METHODS: This descriptive cross-sectional study was a secondary analysis of the data collected for medical checkups for the Transitional Periods of Life supported from the National Health Insurance. The subjects examined were 255,505 people aged 66 years in Korea between January and December, 2008. RESULTS: The elderly people aged 66 when in the transitional periods of life experienced 10.6% of their first falls. The first falls of women (12.4%) was greater than that of men (8.5%) in the elderly. The risk factors for falls included dysuria with an odds ratio of 6.2 to 6.6, depression with an odds ratio of 1.5 to 1.8, gait disturbance with an odds ratio of 1.3 to 1.5, and blindness with an odds ratio of 1.3 to 1.4 in both elderly women and men. CONCLUSIONS: Effective fall prevention should focus on dysuria because it is a more important predictor of falls, even though many intrinsic fall risk factors can affect falls in elderly people.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.47-54
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• 2001

Objectives : To analyze factors associated with elderly falls in a community dwelling, a comparatively important, but somewhat neglected, health mailer. Methods : Data came from personal interview surveys using a questionnaire of 552 people aged 65 or older living in a community. Socioeconomic, and health related characteristics were investigated as independent variables and experiences of falling in the previous year as the dependent variable. Results : 118(21.4%) of the elderly subjects experienced a fall in the previous year. 24 subjects experienced more than two falls, accounting for 20.3% of the elderly fall victims studied. Factors affecting the falls were families living together, level of daily activity, heart disease, and aconuresis;, therefore an elderly person who lives alone, lives independently, has heart disease, or suffers urinary incontinence had a demonstrated increased chance of failing. Conclusion : Groups at risk for luting included elderly persons living alone, living independently, suffering heart disease, or experiencing urinary incontinence. When an elderly fall prevention program is developed and implemented, these results should be considered.