Assessing Fall Risk, Prevention Knowledge, Behavior and Social Support Among Older Adults: Insights from a...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Falls pose a significant global health challenge, particularly for older adults, leading to severe consequences like injury, disability, and loss of independence.
• Addressing fall risk in the elderly is crucial for maintaining their well-being and autonomy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the fall risk among older patients at a referral hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
• To investigate the relationship between fall risk and factors such as sociodemographic characteristics, prevention knowledge, behaviors, and social support.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 246 adults aged 65 and above from the Internal Medicine Department.
• Data collection via surveys on sociodemographic factors, fall risk, prevention knowledge, behaviors, and social support.

Main Results:

• A high prevalence of fall risk was identified in the study population.
• A weak-to-moderate positive correlation was observed between fall risk and fall prevention behaviors.
• Correlations were noted between age, educational level, fall prevention behavior, and fall prevention knowledge.

Conclusions:

• While fall risk was weakly to moderately associated with positive behaviors, no significant association was found with fall prevention knowledge or social support.
• Factors beyond knowledge and social support appear to significantly influence fall risk in older adults.
• Behavioral interventions alone may be insufficient to reduce fall incidence without addressing other underlying contributing factors.