Research developed by a nurse concludes that accidents affect victims differently
Research conducted by nurse Mariana Mapelli de Paiva in the postgraduate program in Public Health at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM) at Unicamp analyzed the causes of falls in the elderly and the impact on quality of life in this age group of the population. The research analyzed data from 986 elderly people over 60 years of age who participated in the Campinas Health Survey (ISACamp). The survey was carried out by the Collaborating Center for Health Situation Analysis between 2014 and 2015 and was funded by FAPESP. The research advisor is professor Marilisa Berti de Azevedo Barros, who also coordinated ISACamp.
“The growing aging of the Brazilian population brings with it serious challenges to be faced. Among these challenges is the high occurrence of falls in the elderly, which are caused by various physiological changes that affect body stability and by multiple individual and environmental factors”, explains Mariana.
According to data from the thesis “Falls, health conditions and quality of life in the elderly: a population-based study in Campinas, São Paulo”, 17,1% of the elderly in Campinas suffer falls within a 12-month period. The occurrence of falls was higher in females and increased with age, reaching 23,7% in elderly people aged 80 or over.
When analyzing the health conditions of the elderly and the association with the occurrence of falls, the researcher found that the prevalence of falls increased with the increase in the number of chronic diseases and reported health problems, being higher among elderly people with arthritis. , rheumatism and osteoarthritis, migraine or headache, back pain, allergies, emotional problem and dizziness or vertigo.
Regarding visual impairment, only elderly people who reported limitations caused by this deficiency had a higher prevalence of falls. Regarding hearing impairment, the occurrence of falls was higher in elderly people who reported this type of disability. The prevalence of falls was also higher among elderly people who use a cane, crutch or walker.
“Dependence on basic activities of daily living such as getting dressed, lying down or getting up increases the occurrence of falls by 52%. Dependence on instrumental activities of daily living such as using transport, shopping, preparing meals, doing household chores, taking medication, taking care of finances and not driving a car increases the risk by 68%”, highlights Mariana in the research.
Impact of falls on quality of life
The researcher used the questionnaire called The Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) to analyze the impact of falls on health-related quality of life. The questionnaire adopts dimensions or domains to assess the perception of quality of life. Elderly people who suffered three or more falls showed declines in six dimensions of quality of life: functional capacity, physical aspects, pain, emotional aspects, social aspects and mental health. Elderly people who suffered one or two falls showed impairment only in the pain domain.
The research showed that falls resulting from dizziness or fainting led to greater losses in quality of life compared to those caused by slipping or tripping.
“The falls, which, according to the elderly person, did not cause limitations in daily activities, only had an impact on the pain scale. Falls that limited activities led elderly people to perceive a decline in their quality of life in terms of emotional, social and mental aspects”, highlights Mariana.
When analyzing the association between the occurrence of falls and the health-related quality of life of elderly people in different demographic and socioeconomic segments, the researcher found that the occurrence of a fall did not result in harm to the quality of life of elderly men under 75 years of age and with higher education and income. Elderly females with lower income who suffered a fall presented impairments in functional capacity, physical aspects and pain.
“Elderly people of both sexes who were 75 years old or over and had a lower level of education, in addition to presenting impairments in functional capacity, physical aspects and pain, also presented impairments in emotional aspects and mental health”, reveals Mariana.
The findings on the prevalence of falls in relation to health conditions made it possible to identify the segments of elderly people most prone to falls. The research also showed that it is important to consider the type and characteristics of falls suffered, in order to better assess the risks of new falls and seek to reduce the impact on the quality of life of the elderly.
“In this sense, it is important to consider the types of chronic diseases and health problems of the elderly, as well as the presence of functional deficiencies, in order to reduce the occurrence of falls. This information highlighted in the research serves as guidance for elderly people, family members and caregivers regarding measures to prevent new episodes of falls and to minimize losses in the quality of life in this age group of the population”, reinforces Mariana.