• Journal of Korean Public Health Nursing
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.302-310
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• 2010

Purpose: A comprehensive analysis of demographical, disease, functional status and fall risk related factors identified factors associated with falls in elderly hypertensive. Method: A descriptive research design was used. The participants were 124 persons aged 65 years or older registered at the community center in Daegu city. The data were collected from October, 2008 to February, 2009. Frequency, Fisher's exact test, $X^2$-test, t-test, and logistic regression were done using the SPSS V17.0. Results: Ninety (72.6%) subjects had experienced falls. The occurrence differed according to number of medications, activities of daily living and competence of vision. Logistic analysis revealed number of medication and impaired vision as independent risk factors for subsequent falls. Conclusion: Supportive nursing for the elderly needs to focus on dizziness and impaired vision to prevent falls in community-dwelling elderly with hypertension.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.79-88
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• 2019

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the peak torques of the knee and ankle joint and local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscle activation patterns of the lower extremity's muscles between fallers and non-fallers in the elderly women during walking. Method: Four elderly women (age: $74.5{\pm}5.2yrs.$; height: $152.1{\pm}5.6cm$; mass: $55.3{\pm}5.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.19{\pm}0.06m/s$) who experienced falls within six months since experiment had been conducted (falls group) and thirty-six subjects ($74.2{\pm}3.09yrs.$; height: $153.6{\pm}4.9cm$; mass: $56.7{\pm}6.4kg$; preference walking speed: $1.24{\pm}0.10m/s$) who had no experience in falls (non-falls group) within this periods participated in this study. They were measured torque peaks of the knee and ankle joint using a Human Norm and while they were walking on a treadmill at their natural pace, kinematic variables and EMG signals were collected with using a 3-D motion capture system and a wireless EMG system, respectively. Lyapunov Exponent (LyE) was determined to observe the dynamic local stability of the lower extremity's joints, and muscles activation and their co-contraction index were also analysed from EMG signals. Hypotheses between falls and non-falls group were tested using paired t-test and Mann-Whitey. Level of significance was set at p<.05. Results: Local dynamic stability in the adduction-abduction movement of the knee joint was significantly lower in falling group than non-falling group (p<.05). Conclusion: In conclusion, muscles which act on the abduction-adduction movement of the knee joint need to be strengthened to prevent from potential falls during walking. However, a small number of samples for fallers make it difficult to generalize the results of this study.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.23-39
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• 2007

Objective: The objective of this study is to identify the risk factors for falls among the Korean elderly population. Methods: We analyzed the data on 167 persons of 65 years of age or older who have experienced falls drawn from the Third Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We conducted a cross-tabulation analysis and logistic regression analysis of the impact of the socio-demographic characteristics, health-related behavior, mobility, and morbidity upon the frequencies of falls. Results: Among the socio-demographic characteristics, gender(p<0.001), marital status(p<0.1), and the type of medical insurance(<0.1) were found to be statistically significant, Among the constraints on mobility, the severity of walking problems, (p<0.001) and depression(p<0.05) proved to be significant, As for variables related to health-related behavior, the level of routine physical activities (p<0.001) was found significant, Finally, rheumatism(p<0.1), osteoporosis(p<0.05), diabetes(p<0.1), urinary incontinence(p<0.01) were also significant. A logistic regression analysis of the incidence of falls revealed that urinary incontinence was the most important risk factor with an odds ratio of 2.7. Conclusion: Although a variety of factors affect the frequencies of falls in the elderly population, urinary incontinence proved to be the single most important risk factor. This finding implies that education for fall prevention is crucial for those with urinary incontinence.

• Therapeutic Science for Rehabilitation
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.43-54
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• 2016

Objective : The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of occupational therapeutic intervention including functional task training on activities daily living of falls experienced elderly. Methods : This study used a single subject experimental design with alternating treatment and reversal design. One participant who have had falls experience among the community-dwelling elderly completed. This study a total of 18 sessions were conducted. Fall Efficiency Scale(FES), Berg Balance Scale(BBS) and task modification scale were used to assess the activities of daily living during each session, and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure(COPM) and Assessment of Home-based Activities(AHA) were used to evaluate the activities of daily living at pre-and post-test. Results : The participant showed significant improvements in the FES, BBS scores. However, the improvement was greater when progressive resistance exercise was practised along with functional task training. COPM and AHA scores improved at post-test. Conclusions : These findings provide evidence for occupational therapeutic intervention for falls-experienced elderly.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.15 no.10
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• pp.6242-6249
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to determine the physical performance and fear of falls in the community dwelling elderly and to investigate how the factors were connected to one another. The data was collected between January 3rd and March 30th, 2014 from 460 elderly people, aged 65 or older, who agreed to participate in this study. The data was sampled among the elders' assistants as a way of responding to the questionnaire after being read. The study scales were composed of the demographic characteristics, physical function and fear of falls. A total of 139 (30.2%) subjects had experienced a fall. The results showed a positive correlation with the chair rise, standing on the leg, pick up a penny from floor, timed up and go test, and fear of falls. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that a predictor of the fear of falls were chair rise and timed up and go test. A combination of physical performance accounted for 16.9% of the fear of fall. Based on the findings of this study, it is useful to more effectively develop fall prevention and intervention programs in a future study.

• Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2012

Objective: Falls are defined as contact of the body with the floor after losing balance during activities of daily living. Falls commonly occur among the elderly, and stroke patients in particular are at a high risk of falling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the changes of temporal and spatial gait parameters and gait symmetry according to experience falls in post-stroke patients. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Fifty three patients with stroke were recruited on a voluntary basis from the rehabilitation unit, who currently undergoing physical therapy. All participants were asked to answer questions regarding the frequency of falls in the past 1 year. Fifty-three patients with stroke were allocated 2 groups according to experienced falls: stroke with falls (n=26) during past 1 year and stroke without falls (n=27). The spatial and temporal gait parameters and gait symmetry ratio were measured using GAITRite system. Results: The spatial gait parameters and the temporal gait parameters were significantly different between the stroke with falls group and the stroke without falls group (p<0.05). Furthermore, step length was the only significantly different among symmetry ratio (p<0.05). Conclusions: Experience of falls can lead to impairment of gait ability in stroke patients. This result is expected to be used as a basic data for rehabilitation program development to prevent a fall of post-stroke patients.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.16 no.6
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• pp.945-953
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• 2014

This study aims to develop protective pants to relieve impact from falls and to present basic data for the development. The survey results are as follows; First, 45% of the respondents were in their 60s and 55% of them were in their over 70s and older. Also, 64% of them have fallen once for the past year and 36% of them have fallen twice or more. The older they were, the more there were those who have fallen twice or more. This indicated the older people has experienced more fall accidents again after a initial fall accident. Second, as per accident situations, the survey showed that fall accidents happened the most in the winter and in the afternoon (12-18 pm). Also, it happened on a street mostly and they were wearing sneakers or hiking boots when they got a hurt slipped in a front or side by missing their step in a walk. The injury areas are mostly knee and ankle. They had the bruises or a sprain in their knee and ankle mostly. The rate of bone fracture was 19.5%. Therefore, the protection area to falls in lower body is the knee. But hip and hip joint should be protected with knee as well because those are usually be broken when it is damaged. Third, approximately 80% of those who were hospitalized for treatment had surgery. Patients who had surgery were rather in their over 70s than in their 60s. The older they were, the more serious their fracture was. The period of hospital or outpatient treatment is more than three weeks in many cases. They responded their health got worse after falls. Aftereffects of accidents were physical discomfort, anxiety and medical costs. Falls to the old makes physical damage, psychological damage, which cause reduced physical activity and the increased cost of health care with economic losses. So it results on a negative impact on the life of the old. Fourth, elderly females were rarely aware of impact protective clothing and they have never purchased such clothing. For impact protective pants, the major consideration was suitable design for their body types. They liked casual style with front or side pockets and simple designs without any patterns or decorations. As per pants materials, they responded that they need functionality, activity and elasticity. Among the functional points, insulation of cloths are considered importantly, so the heat reservance of material in the impact protective pants should be considered carefully.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.251-263
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• 2011

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine the factors associated with fear of falling among the elderly dwelling in rural communities. Methods: From February 1, 2010 to March 31, 2010, a questionnaire-based survey was sent to 2,628 persons 65 years or older dwelling in 1 Myeon and 1 Eup of Gyeongsangnam-do. Among these participants, 735 (27.9%) had fallen more than once in 2009. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression were performed using SPSS version 12.0. Results: Factors influencing the fear of falling in the elderly according to falls experienced were number of outpatient visits, number of falls, gender, admission, purchasing of health function foods, and activities of daily living. Overall, the study showed significant differences in the score of fear of falling according to gender, age, education, marital status, living arrangement, main means of mobilization, drinking, income, number of falls, admission, number of outpatient visits, experience with outpatient oriental medicine, purchasing of health function foods, medical assistance devices, season, fall location, fall cause, shoe type, injury type, limitation of activity, and activities of daily living. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that programs should be developed specifically for elderly people who have experienced more than one fall because of increased fear due to multiple falls.

• The Journal of Korean Society for School & Community Health Education
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.113-126
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• 2019

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to understand the relevance of chronic disease conditions and fall experience among people aged 65 and older. and use them as basic data to reduce the risk of falling. Methods: The study selected 26,122 men and 37,777 women aged 65 and over as final subjects of the study, using raw data from the Community Health Survey in 2015. The statistical analysis used SAS 9.4 USA. Results: About 20% of those aged 65 and older experienced a fall, with one in five elderly people experiencing a fall, and the ratio of men to women was 3:7, women higher than men. As the age grew, the lower the level of education, the more senior citizens who lived alone occurred falls. In addition, the incidence of falls was higher when the number of chronic diseases was more than three. The incidence of falls was 1.1-1.5 times higher depending on chronic diseases. Conclusion: The development of education and exercise programs for preventing fall of senior citizens aged 65 and older is required and further study is needed.

• Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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• v.29 no.2
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• pp.223-235
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• 2004

Objectives: This study was to evaluate the actual condition of falls among community-dwelling elderly people and its related factors to prepare for the establishment of comprehensive prevention programs of senior population. Methods: The study subjects included 460 home residents over 65 years in a district of Chungnam Province and interviews were given to all of them, asking about experiences of falls and their related factors. The analysis of study results came to the following conclusions. Results: The rate of falls among total subjects was 35.5%. With the percentage by age and sex, over 70's and female were significantly higher than male(p=0.000) and under 69 (p=0.008). The groups with poor visual acuity and hearing ability had higher rate of falls than the normal groups based on their health status. In terms of place they experienced falls, out-door occurrence accounted for 53.4% of total falls, which was higher 46.6% of in-door. By season when falls are experienced, "winter" showed the greatest rate, and by time of the day, evening had the highest rate. By causes of falls, "Slippery ground"accounted for 30.5% and "Tumbled over" 23.5% of total falls, respectively, showing the major role of environmental causes for falls. For individual factors, "Irritability" and "Carelessness" occupied 11.3%, 10.8% of total falls, respectively. The Odds Ratios for falls in women was 2.19 times higher than in men, and those in 70's are 2.01 times higher than in 60's, and those with abnormal BMI was 3.68 times higher than in normal groups, and those with perceived symptoms was 1.94 times higher than those without. Conclusions: It is suggested that more consideration should be directed toward taking comprehensive and systematic prevention measures ranging from setting-up the injury-protective environments to allowing senior citizens to have competence in ADL activity as well as proper general health conditions, considering the higher rate of falls for elderly persons in a rural part of this country than that of western countries and the greater proportion of falls which can be ascribed to environmental factors.