Frailty and risk of falling in the older adult living at home

Abstract

Objective: To analyze the association between risk of falling and frailty syndrome in the older adult living at home. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 261 older adult men and women living in households in a city of São Paulo. The collection took place through the instruments: Demographic Profile, Mini Mental State Examination, Fall Risk Score, Edmonton Frail Scale, Tilburg Frailty Indicator and Groningen Frailty Indicator. For the bivariate analyzes, we used Pearson’s chi-square test and, to compare the means of the numerical scale, the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test and the linear logistic regression with p <0.05. Results: Of the 261 older adults, most were female, widows, with 1 to 4 years of education and living with family members. The prevalence of fall risk was 51.7%. In all scales used, there was an association between frailty and risk of falling (p <0.001). In the linear logistic regression analysis, the older adult considered frail by the Tilburg Scale were 6.05 times more likely to fall than the non-frail. On the Groningen Scale, the chances of the frail older adult falling were 5.55 times higher and, on the Edmonton Scale, those at risk of falling had a 1.53 average increase in the score. Conclusion: The risk of falling was most significantly estimated when associated with frailty, in the three scales used. Such scales are easily accessible and applicable instruments by nurses and multiprofessional staff and can be adopted to favor active aging.