%0 Journal Article
%T Prevalence and Determinants of Falls among Older Adults in Ecuador: An Analysis of the SABE I Survey
%A Carlos H. Orces
%J Current Gerontology and Geriatrics Research
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/495468
%X The present study based on a nationally representative sample of older adults living in the Andes mountains and coastal region of the country indicates that 34.7% of older adults had fallen in the previous year in Ecuador. Among fallers, 30.6% reported a fall-related injury. The prevalence of falls was higher in women and among older adults residing in the rural Andes mountains. In the multivariate model, women, subjects with cognitive impairment, those reporting urinary incontinence, and those being physically active during the previous year were variables found independently associated with increased risk of falling among older adults in Ecuador. Moreover, a gradual and linear increase in the prevalence of falls was seen as the number of risk factors increased. Falls represent a major public health problem among older adults in Ecuador. The present findings may assist public health authorities to implement programs of awareness and fall prevention among older adults at higher risk of falls. 1. Introduction One-third of people over the age of 65 years who live in the community fall each year; this proportion increases to 50% by the age of 80 years. Although not all falls of older persons are injurious, about 5% of them result in a fracture, and other serious injuries occur in 5% to 10% of falls [1]. Approximately 30% of falls required medical treatment, often resulting in emergency department visits and subsequent hospitalizations, increasing the demand for healthcare services [2]. Previous studies have reported upward trends in fall-related injury hospitalizations and deaths in developed countries [3, 4]. Despite these facts, there is limited information about the epidemiology of falls among older adults in developing countries. Reyes-Ortiz et al. (2005) reported that the prevalence of falls among adults aged 60 years or older across seven urban cities in Latin America ranged from 21.6% in Bridgetown, Barbados to 34% in Santiago, Chile [5]. In Brazil, the prevalence of falls found among older adults residing in urban areas was 27.6% [6]. Moreover, among studies in Latin America, the increased risk of falling has been associated with female gender, increased age, high depressive symptoms, functional limitations, diabetes, arthritis, osteoporosis, and urinary incontinence [5¨C7]. In Ecuador, the proportion of persons aged 60 years or older was 6.2% in 1990 and it is expected to reach 11.9% by 2020 and 24.5% by 2050. These demographic changes may markedly increase the number of falls among older adults in the country [8]. Knowledge of the epidemiology of
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/cggr/2013/495468/