Assessment of fall-associated risk factors in the Muslim community-dwelling older adults of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

• Published in: BMC geriatrics 2023-10, Vol.23 (1), p.623-623, Article 623
• Main Authors: Bibi, Rashida, Yan, Zhang, Ilyas, Muhammad, Shaheen, Mussarat, Singh, Satya Narayan, Zeb, Akhter
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Aging; Blood pressure; Check lists; Cognitive ability; Community-dwelling; Data collection; Developing countries; Diabetes; Disability; Exercise; Falls; Gait; Geriatrics; Health care; Humans; Hypotension; Independent Living; Islam; LDCs; Mobility; Muslims; Older adults; Older people; Pakistan; Pakistan - epidemiology; Physical activity; Physical fitness; Population; Postural Balance; Prediction models; Prevention; Quality of life; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Time and Motion Studies; Walking
• ISSN: 1471-2318; 1471-2318
• DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-04322-1

Falls are the third-leading cause of disability among the elderly population worldwide. It is multifactorial, and the occurrence of falls depends on different factors, which can be different from context to context, and individual to individual. Therefore, regular assessment of fall risk factors is required to develop a strategy for fall prevention. The study aimed to identify fall-related risk factors in Pakistani healthy older adults at risk of developing physical disabilities. It also aimed to create a risk-predictive model for fall occurrence, offering evidence for preventive strategies. Data were collected from 140 Muslim older adults from two residential areas of Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, from July 2022 to August 25, 2022, after obtaining permission from the Zhengzhou University Ethical Review Board (ZZUIRB #202,254), and the District Health Department Office (DHO #14,207). Participants were informed, and consent was obtained before data collection. Data were collected using the Time Up and Go Test (TUGT) checklist, the Cognitive Screening Scores (CS-10) checklist, interviews regarding the prayer practice, fall history in the last six months, visual equity questions, and demographic variables. Factors associated with falls were; age, gender, education, cognitive status, poor walking speed, lack of physical activity, poor vision, and history of falls in the last six months, with a significant P value of (P.