FALL OCCURRENCE AND ASSOCIATION WITH KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE ON FALL PREVENTION AMONG ELDERLY RESIDENTS IN NURSING HOMES, PR CHINA

Abstract

Falls among the elderly are of a significant global health concern.  While falls in nursing homes are a growing issue, limited attention has been given to the role of the residents’ knowledge and practices in fall prevention, particularly in nursing homes in China.  We used a cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of falls and their association with knowledge and practices in fall prevention among the elderly (n = 341), age 60 years and above, residing in nursing homes in three districts of Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province, PR China.  Data were collected using validated structured questionnaires and evaluated using a logistic regression analysis, with results reported as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).  Participants (28%) experienced at least one fall in the previous 12 months.  The multivariate analysis revealed that a higher score in knowledge of fall prevention was significantly associated with greater occurrence of falls (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.16; 95% CI: 1.06-1.27, p-value = 0.002), while there was no significant association with practice in fall prevention.  The female sex (aOR = 1.76; 95% CI: 1.03-2.99, p-value = 0.038), a history of stroke (aOR = 3.12, 95% CI: 1.64-5.93, p-value = 0.001), and impaired mobility (aOR = 2.07, 95% CI: 1.21-3.55, p-value = 0.008) were positively associated with falls.  However, having completed a college education was inversely associated with fall occurrence (aOR = 0.40, 95% CI: 0.17-0.98, p-value = 0.044).  In conclusion, falls were common among elderly residents in nursing homes in Jinzhou City.  These findings underscore the importance of implementing targeted interventions that extend beyond a knowledge-based approach to effectively reduce incidents of falls within this at-risk growing population.