Prevalence of falls in elderly people living in a rural community

Abstract

Introduction: The prevalence of falls increases with age and with the level of frailty associated with aging. With demographic aging, it is estimated an increase in falls and their consequences. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of falls and their consequences. Methods: Quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive study. Performed in a probabilistic sample, randomly selected, with an estimated frequency of 50% and with an acceptable margin of error of 5% and a confidence level of 95%. Results: The study was performed in a sample of 321 elderly people, 54.5% of whom are female and 45.5% are males and with a mean age of 76.11 ± 6.79 years. The prevalence of falls was 45.5% in the 12 months prior to data collection, and 21.5% in the last 3 months. Among the elderly who fell, 68.5% suffered injuries, abrasions (32.9%), fractures (16.4%) and bruises (15.8%). Conclusions: Falls are a problem in the elderly and often cause physical consequences. We recommend studying the impact of falls in the elderly from a psychological and social aspect.