Prevalence and Risk factors influencing Falls Among Elderly Patients with type 2 diabetes at Khong Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima Province
Keywords:
Falls, Older adults, Type 2 diabetes mellitus, Risk factors, PrevalenceAbstract
This study aimed to determine the prevalence and identify factors associated with fall risk among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus at Khong Hospital, Nakhon Ratchasima Province. A survey research by cross-sectional study was conducted among 222 patients aged 60 years and older who had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and attended the diabetes clinic at Khong Hospital. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and the Thai Falls Risk Assessment Tool (Thai-FRAT). Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data, and factors associated with fall risk were analyzed using logistic regression.
Results: The prevalence of fall risk among participants was 40.09%. Univariate analysis identified several factors associated with fall risk, including increasing age, lower educational level, longer duration of diabetes, peripheral neuropathy, diabetic nephropathy, and hypertension. In multivariate analysis, increasing age was significantly associated with a higher risk of falls (Adjusted OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.04–1.14, p < 0.01). Low educational level (no formal education or primary education) was also significantly associated with fall risk (Adjusted OR = 3.61, 95% CI: 1.12–11.56, p = 0.03). Longer duration of diabetes was associated with increased fall risk (Adjusted OR = 1.03, 95% CI: 1.01–1.07, p = 0.04). Hypertension showed a strong association with fall risk (Adjusted OR = 7.43, 95% CI: 2.11–26.21, p < 0.01).
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