Risk Factors of Falling among the Elderly in Taiwan: A Longitudinal Study

台灣老人跌倒危險因子之探討

徐慧娟(Hui-Chuan Hsu) ； 詹莉君(Li-Jyun Jhan)

《台灣老年醫學暨老年學雜誌》 3卷2期 (2008/05) Pp. 141-154

https://doi.org/10.29461/TGG.200805.0007

摘要

目的：本研究目的在應用全國代表性長期追蹤樣本，分析老人跌倒盛行率及其相關危險因子。
研究方法：資料來自國民健康局「老人生活與保健調查」1996年與1999年長期追蹤資料，1996年爲2,669人，1999人爲2,310人。相關危險因子變項包括人口變項、慢性病、身體功能障礙及其變化、憂鬱症狀、運動習慣、使用柺杖或助行器以及是否行走正常、戴眼鏡以及是否看得清楚等。以邏輯式迴歸進行分析。
結果：在1999年有19.5%的老人有跌倒經驗，其中7.2%爲重複跌倒。跌倒的相關危險因子包括女性、身體功能失能、身體功能惡化、有憂鬱症狀、使柺杖或助行器但走路方便、未戴眼鏡且看不清楚等。有73.8%的跌倒老人都害怕再次跌倒，有45.1%的跌倒老人認爲是環境因素造成的。
結論：個人身體與心理因素和環境因素均可能造成老人跌倒與傷害。老年人之家庭醫師或老年科醫師應對其可能的危險情形具有敏感性，老年人輔具使用適當性與居家環境安全亦應注意。

關鍵字

跌倒 ； 老人 ； 長期追蹤 ； 危險因子

並列摘要

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of falls and repeated falls of national elderly samples and to explore the risk factors of falls.
Methods: Data were obtained from the ”Survey of Health and Living Status of the Elderly in Taiwan” conducted in 1996 (n=2,669) and 1999 (n=2,310). The related risk factors of falls included demographic variables, chronic diseases, disability and changes in physical function, depressive symptoms, exercise behavior, and use of assistive devices (walker/sticks or glasses). Logistic regression was used for analysis.
Results: The prevalence of falls was 19.5%, with 12.3% single fall and 7.2% repeated falls. The risk factors of falls included being female, having disability, reduced ADL function, with depressive symptoms, using stick/walker but walking well, and not wearing glasses but not seeing clearly. Among the fallers, 73.8% reported fear of falls, and 45.1% attributed their falls to environmental causes.
Conclusion: Physical and psychological factors as well as environmental factors may cause falls and injuries for elderly. Physicians in the fields of geriatrics or family medicine should pay more and closer attention to the possible risks of their senior patients; home safety and appropriateness of assistive devices for the elderly should be regularly evaluated and carefully maintained.

並列關鍵字

falls ； elderly ； longitudinal study ； risk factors