TY - JOUR
T1 - Falls among elderly persons in Latin America and the Caribbean and among elderly Mexican-Americans
AU - Reyes-Ortiz, Carlos A.
AU - Al Snih, Soham
AU - Markides, Kyriakos S.
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Objective. To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elders in Latin America and the Caribbean and among elderly Mexican-Americans in the southwestern United States. Methods. Data for the study came from a project called Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento en América Latina y el Caribe) (the "SABE project") (surveys from seven cities, with a total of 9 765 subjects) and from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) (1 483 subjects). Results. The overall prevalence of falls across the seven SABE cities and the H-EPESE ranged from 21.6% in Bridgetown, Barbados, to 34.0% in Santiago, Chile. In multiple logistic regression analyses, female gender, increased age, high depressive symptoms, and having any functional limitations were significant independent risk factors for falls in most of the cities studied as well as among the elderly Mexican-Americans. In several of the cities, significant risk factors also included diabetes, urinary incontinence, and arthritis. Conclusions. The prevalence of falls had a large variation among the countries studied. Some of the risk factors that we identified could be modified so as to help prevent falls in older people in these populations. The factors deserving attention include depressive symptoms, functional limitations, diabetes, and urinary incontinence.
AB - Objective. To estimate the prevalence of and risk factors for falls among community-dwelling elders in Latin America and the Caribbean and among elderly Mexican-Americans in the southwestern United States. Methods. Data for the study came from a project called Health, Well-Being, and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (Salud, Bienestar y Envejecimiento en América Latina y el Caribe) (the "SABE project") (surveys from seven cities, with a total of 9 765 subjects) and from the Hispanic Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (H-EPESE) (1 483 subjects). Results. The overall prevalence of falls across the seven SABE cities and the H-EPESE ranged from 21.6% in Bridgetown, Barbados, to 34.0% in Santiago, Chile. In multiple logistic regression analyses, female gender, increased age, high depressive symptoms, and having any functional limitations were significant independent risk factors for falls in most of the cities studied as well as among the elderly Mexican-Americans. In several of the cities, significant risk factors also included diabetes, urinary incontinence, and arthritis. Conclusions. The prevalence of falls had a large variation among the countries studied. Some of the risk factors that we identified could be modified so as to help prevent falls in older people in these populations. The factors deserving attention include depressive symptoms, functional limitations, diabetes, and urinary incontinence.
KW - Accidental falls
KW - Aged
KW - Aged, 80 and over
KW - Caribbean
KW - Latin America
KW - Mexican Americans
KW - Risk factors
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U2 - 10.1590/S1020-49892005000500008
DO - 10.1590/S1020-49892005000500008
M3 - Article
C2 - 16053646
AN - SCOPUS:21644433913
SN - 1020-4989
VL - 17
SP - 362
EP - 369
JO - Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica/Pan American Journal of Public Health
JF - Revista Panamericana de Salud Publica/Pan American Journal of Public Health
IS - 5-6
ER -