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Fall-risk factors in hospitalized elderly: the role of adapted physical activity

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Abstract

Purpose

Falls are common events in institutionalized elderly. Recent evidence suggests that several risk factors (FRFs) may be related to these falls. The aim of this study was to elucidate if some demographic and clinical factors are associated with the risk of falls in institutionalized elderly. The role of adapted physical activity (APA) in the risk of falls was also assessed.

Methods

With a Kaplan–Meier statistical model, the mean survivor time (MST) to a fall event was recorded for 6 months in 128 new-admitted patients to nursing home. Demographic factors such as sex, age, stature, body mass or other FRFs such as fall recidivism, gait and balance performance, cognitive impairment, activity of daily living (ADL) levels, Parkinson’s disease, utilization of gait assistant devices, and the employment of a program of APA were considered potential co-variants.

Results

Thirty patients experienced a fall during the observation period (6 months) with an overall MST of 154.8 ± 4.6 (range 2–167) days. Moreover, history of previous fallen, reduced gait capacity, poor cognitive function, limited performance in the ADL, and Parkinson’s disease were associated with a reduced MST to a fall event. While at contrary, the employment of the APA significantly reduced the fall-risk.

Conclusions

Our results suggest the effectiveness of an APA program for the prevention of falling in institutionalized elderly. Moreover, new-admitted patients to nursing homes with a history of previous fallen, reduced gait capacity, poor cognitive function, limited performance in the ADL, and Parkinson’s disease are associated with an increased risk of fallen.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Colombo 71, 20133, Milan, Italy

    Valentina Tonni, Emiliano Cè, Eloisa Limonta, Angela Valentina Bisconti, Stefano Longo, Susanna Rampichini, Fabio Esposito & Massimo Venturelli

  2. Mons. Arrigo Mazzali Foundation, Mantua, Italy

    Andrea Magri, Anna Brasioli & Ettore Muti

Authors
  1. Valentina Tonni
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  2. Emiliano Cè
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  3. Eloisa Limonta
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  4. Angela Valentina Bisconti
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  5. Stefano Longo
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  6. Susanna Rampichini
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  7. Andrea Magri
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  8. Anna Brasioli
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  9. Ettore Muti
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  10. Fabio Esposito
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  11. Massimo Venturelli
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Massimo Venturelli.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical Standards of the institutional or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or compatible ethical Standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in this study.

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Tonni, V., Cè, E., Limonta, E. et al. Fall-risk factors in hospitalized elderly: the role of adapted physical activity. Sport Sci Health 12, 471–477 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-016-0324-7

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