Falls, fear of falling and related factors in community-dwelling individuals aged 80 and over in Turkey.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to determine the prevalence of falls, fear of falling (FOF) and related factors in individuals aged 80 and over living in the Balçova district of Izmir.

METHODS

One thousand and seventy-five individuals aged 80 years or older participated. The dependent variables were falls and fear of falling. The independent variables were socio-demographic and socio-economic characteristics, health-related characteristics and 'safety status of home' features.

RESULTS

The participants' mean age was 84.1 ± 3.7 (range, 80-101) years, and 60.8% were female (n = 582). The prevalence of falls was 35.4% in the last year, and fear of falling was 86.6%. The risk factors for falls were number of chronic diseases, moderate and high fall risk, sleep disturbance and slippery bathroom floors, whilst for fear of falling they were number of chronic diseases, female gender, living alone and moderate or high fall risk.

CONCLUSION

A monitoring program is indicated to address high fall and fear of falling prevalence among people aged 80 and over.