• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.350-360
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• 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the present status of falls among inpatients in general hospitals and to identify the fall risk factors that reflect the characteristics of domestic hospitals. Methods: Data were collected between December 15, 2016 and January 15, 2017 from 32 Korean hospitals having 500 or more beds. First, 42 risk factors were extracted based on literature review and expert opinions. Then the importance of each factor was evaluated by 223 nurses from medical and surgical adult ward and intensive care units in 40 hospitals. Results: The incidence rate of falls in 18 hospitals was 3.87 per 1,000 total discharged patients and 0.55 per 1,000 patient-days, and the rate of injury-related falls was 40.5%. Major risk factors for falling were identified as the following: being over 65 years of age, history of falls during admission, physical mobility disorders requiring assistance, physical factors (dizziness or vertigo, unstable gait, general weakness, walking aids, visual problems), cognitive factors (delirium, lack of understanding on limitations), neurological disease, CNS medications Conclusion: The findings provide information that can be in the development of a fall risk assessment tool for inpatients in general hospitals in Korea.

• 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 Trauma and Injury
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.96-101
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• 2010

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the epidemiological characteristics of?children with fall-down injuries according to age groups and to analyze the major trauma groups that were treated at the emergency room (ER). Methods: Among 1,222 children under age 6 who were treated at the ER from January 2008 to December 2009, a retrospective study was conducted through examination of medical records. The children were classified by age into 3 groups: infant, toddler, and pre-schooler. In each group, the differences between the causative factors that led to the fall-down injuries were analyzed. Also, ISS (Injury Severity Score) score above 4 was classified as major trauma, and an ISS score 0-1 was classified as a minor trauma. The relationship between major trauma and age group was also analyzed. Results: Through an analysis of child fall-down injuries, men (56.6%), toddler (47.3%), head-related symptoms (72.9%), furniture-related traumas (80.2%), and falls from less than a 1-m height (69.9%) were found to be common factors. Furthermore, in radiological studies, fractures and brain hemorrhages accounted for 16.9% of major traumas, and simple skull fractures were the most common (21.4%). Distributed according to age group, the factors relevant to fall injuries were fall height and head-related symptoms for infants, accident site, fall height and head-related symptoms for toddlers, and accident site for pre-schoolers (p<0.05). Also, headrelated symptoms and fall height were independent factors of major trauma in all age groups. However, major traumas (17.3%) were related to dumped trauma, fall height and accident site (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study was mainly about head-related injuries, and toddler were most common victims. The relevant factors for the major trauma were falling height for infants, accident site and falling height for toddlers, and accident site, falling height for pre-schoolers.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Integrative Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.175-183
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• 2021

Purpose : Few studies have examined the relationship between elderly falls and quality of life (QOL) in a large general population. Furthermore, although many studies have investigated the relationships between socio-demographic factors and falls, relatively few studies have evaluated the associations of places and environments with QOL of fall. The purpose of the scheme was to identify the relationship between falls and QOL in a large sample of the elderly. Methods : This study used raw data from the 2013 Korean community health survey. A total of 228,781 people participated in the 2013 study among them 61.552 people were aged 65 or older. Authors also excluded 40 people whose QOL confirmation was unclear. Therefore, final analysis was conducted 61,512 senior citizens. The survey contained questions about the occurrence of falls, number of falls occurring per year, location of occurrence, and cause of falls. QOL was measured using the EQ-5D, an evaluation tool developed by the EuroQol group. Results : The results showed a statistically significantly lower QOL to little fear and full of fear as compared with no fear of falls (p<.05). The number of falls was statistically significantly lower in one, two, and three or more times, than in zero (i.e. no falls)(p<.05). In the falling environments, fall experience, but not related to lighting (p>.05), had a significant lower in QOL compared without the experience (p<.05). Conclusion : This study concluded that there is a strong connection between fall and QOL to the elderly, particularly regarding the number of occurrences, place, and environment. However, we found that an environment (e.g. the lack of lighting) might not affect QOL. It means that when the experts who make an effective tool or intervention may not need to consider indoor and outdoor darkness.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.14 no.12
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• pp.6353-6363
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• 2013

This study examined the factors associated with recurrent falls among the community-dwelling elderly. The participants were 329 community-dwelling elderly. The data was collected from February 5, 2010 to February 14, 2010. Over the past 1 year, 14.3% of the 329 participants fall once, and 4.0% experienced recurrent falls. There was a significant difference among the non fallers, single faller and recurrent fallers with regard to the static balance(F=5.86, p=.003), dynamic balance(F=24.32, p<.001), risk of fall(F=9.94, p<.001) and compliance of prevention behavior related to falls(F=3.09, p=.047). The analysis results for the correlation between variables showed that the number of falls had a negative effect on the knee flexors muscular strength(r=-.15, p=.008), static balance(r=-.16, p=.004) and compliance of prevention behavior related to falls(r=-.12, p=.030) and a positive affect for the dynamic balance(r=.26, p<.001), depression(r=.13, p=.019) and risk of falls(r=.30, p<.001). The variables explained 36.0% of the variants in the occurrence of recurrent falls. Therefore, an effective recurrent fall prevention program should focus on multiple risk factor intervention.

• International conference on construction engineering and project management
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• 2015.10a
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• pp.65-69
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• 2015

The aim of this paper is to identify and rank the main causes of fall accidents from scaffolding according to their relative importance as perceived by project managers and site engineers in construction projects in the Gaza Strip. A total of 50 questionnaires were distributed to project managers and site engineers, 35 questionnaires were received yielding 70% response rate. A total of 33 factors that cause fall accidents in scaffolding were identified through a literature review and consolidated by a pilot study. These factors were categorized into six groups: factors related to erection, factors related to the staff (Scaffolders), factors related to loads, factors related to the personal safety, factors related to the workers behavior, factors related to the personal competencies. The results indicated that factors related to the workers behavior are the major factors that caused fall accidents from scaffolds. The results revealed that the top ranked factors which caused falls accidents from scaffolding were: absence of personal protective equipment (PPE), missing ladders, wind loads, disguised the design code, lack of proper assembly or inspection, overhead tools and materials, climbing and neglect using ladders, lack of guardrails, missing bracing and working during fatigue. These findings would help contractors to understand the top factors that caused fall accidents so that they can take them into consideration in safety planning in order to minimize the possibility of their occurrences.

• Journal of Trauma and Injury
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.187-195
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• 2023

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the risk factors associated with the severity of fall-related injuries among patients who suffered a fall from similar heights and analyze differences in injury sites according to intentionality and injury severity. Methods: The Emergency Department-based Injury In-depth Surveillance (EDIIS) data collected between 2019 and 2020 were used in this retrospective study. Patients with fall-related injuries who fell from a height of ≥6 and <9 m were included. Patients were categorized into the severe and mild/moderate groups according to their excessive mortality ratio-adjusted Injury Severity Score (EMRISS) and the intention and non-intention groups. Injury-related and outcome-related factors were compared between the groups. Results: In total, 33,046 patients sustained fall-related injuries. Among them, 543 were enrolled for analysis. A total of 256 and 287 patients were included in the severe and mild/moderate groups, respectively, and 93 and 450 patients were included in the intention and non-intention groups, respectively. The median age was 50 years (range, 39-60 years) and 45 years (range, 27-56 years) in the severe and mild/moderate groups, respectively (P<0.001). In multivariable analysis, higher height (odds ratio [OR] 1.638; 95% confidence interval [Cl], 1.279-2.098) and accompanying foot injury (OR, 0.466; 95% CI, 0.263-0.828) were independently associated with injury severity (EMR-ISS ≥25) and intentionality of fall (OR, 0.722; 95% CI, 0.418-1.248) was not associated with injury severity. The incidence of forearm injuries was four (4.3%) and 58 cases (12.9%, P=0.018) and that of foot injuries was 20 (21.5%) and 54 cases (12.0%, P=0.015) in the intention versus non-intention groups, respectively. Conclusions: Among patients who fell from a similar height, age, and fall height were associated with severe fall-related injuries. Intentionality was not related to injury severity, and patients with foot injury were less likely to experience serious injuries. Injuries in the lower and upper extremities were more common in intentional and unintentional falls, respectively.

• Journal of Convergence for Information Technology
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• v.11 no.11
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• pp.204-209
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• 2021

This study is a data analysis study to identify the factors influencing the prevalence and risk factors for falls of older adults with dementia in Korea. Using the data of the 7th Aging Research Panel in 2018, 119 people were enrolled. We used response data on the dementia-related factors that is the duration of dementia and whether or not activity of daily living was restricted due to dementia. For comorbid diseases, data on hypertension, diabetes, and obesity were used. For statistical analysis of the collected data, logistic regression analysis was performed using SPSS statistics 22.0. Dementia-related factors and comorbidities of the analyzed subjects had a significant effect on the falling index. In particular, it was found that the influence was greatest in the order of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, daily life restrictions due to dementia, and the duration of dementia. This study is meant to identify factors that should be prioritized in the composition of a fall prevention program for the elderly with dementia. Based on the findings of this study, strategies for preventing falls due to the duration of dementia and limiting daily life, intensive management of high-risk groups for falls due to comorbid diseases, and training in the use of safety aids such as walking aids will be required in the care of the elderly with dementia,

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.430-437
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• 2010

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the balance confidence and balance ability among community-residing stroke patients. Methods: The sample for this study was a convenience sample obtained from patients who visited welfare centers for the disabled in three cities from October to December in 2009. The Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale and Berg Balance Scale were used to measure confidence in task performance and balance ability. Results: The level of balance confidence and balance ability were low in these subjects. There was a significant relationship between balance confidence and balance ability (r=.424, p=.000). Subjects with less balance ability felt less balance confidence. Conclusion: Among community-residing stroke patients, falls are common. Falls prevention which may contribute to the incidence of fall and fall related injury should be part of stroke rehabilitation plan. Also, it is necessary that an intervention for falls prevention after stroke should take into account factors such as the balance confidence and balance ability.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.1-15
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• 1999

For the purpose of disclosing estimated annual incidence rate and causative factors of traumatic spinal cord injury and obtaining basic data for the establishment of effective measures to prevent this injury, the medical record of 204 cases of Seoul residents with spinal cord injury which admitted in 46 general hospitals and National rehabilitation center located in Seoul, including Sam Yook Rehabilitation Center and Jung Ang Hospital in Kyungi do and occurred in 1995 were analyzed. The results were as follows: 1) The estimated annual incidence rate of traumatic spinal cord injury in 1995 of Seoul residents was 20.5 per million population. This incidence rate was the highest in the 40th years (34.1), followed by in the 50th years (26.5) and in the 20th years (25.6) in descending order. 2) The incidence rate ratio between male and female was 3.5:1. 3) The leading cause of injury was the highest in traffic accidents (42.2%), followed by falls from elevation (29.4%) and falls on the same level (9.8%). 4) Traffic accident mainly occured from 20th years to 40th years and falls from elevation in 50th years. 5) The level of spinal cord injury was the highest in cervical cord (63.2%), followed by the thoracic cord (21.1%) and lumbosacral cord (15.7%). Traffic accidents mainly caused in cervical cord injury whereas thoracic cord injury and lumbosacral cord injury were caused from falls from elevation. Above theconsiderations in mind, it suggested that in order to prevent traumatic spinal cord injuries, safety education of falls from elevation should be focused on the 20th years and 50th years male, moreover safety education of traffic accidents will be needed in the 30th years and 40th years male.