Research Abstract: Free Paper - Poster Presentation Only Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2023

The prevalence of falls and associated factors in older adults of the Torres Strait (#166)

Roselani I Henry 1 , Sarah G Russell 1 2 3 , Fintan Thompson 3 , Rachel Quigley 1 2 3 , Betty Sagigi 4 , Gavin Miller 1 , Edward Strivens 1
  1. Queensland Health, Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  2. College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  3. Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Cairns, QLD, Australia
  4. Torres and Cape Hospital and Health Service, Thursday Island, QLD, Australia

Objective:  To assess the prevalence of falls and examine associations between falls and potential risk factors in older adults of the Torres Strait Region of Australia.

 

Methods:  250 people aged ≥ 40 years residing in the Torres Strait, who identified as Torres Strait Islander, Aboriginal, or both, were asked if they had sustained any falls in the past year.  Associations between self-reported falls and predictor variables were examined using logistic regression.

 

Results: 21% of participants reported at least one fall; 9% reported ≥ 2 falls.  Participants who reported any falls in the past year were more than twice as likely to have urinary incontinence (p=0.007) and poor mobility (p=0.001) compared to participants who did not report any falls.

 

Conclusion: Around one in five respondents reported one or more falls in the past year, demonstrating that falls are a significant issue for older adults of the Torres Strait.