• Journal of muscle and joint health
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.91-101
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the experience of falls and identify risk factors associated with falls. Methods: The participants were 233 community-dwelling elderly people in two cities. Data were collected by interviewing the elderly with structured questionnaires from May to June, 2012. For data analysis, descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression were performed using SPSS version 17.0. Results: Age, educational level, living arrangement, health status, the use of assistive devices, the number of medication, hypertension, arthralgia, dizziness, fall efficacy, fear of falling, activity of daily living, and quality of life were significant associated with fall experience. Through multiple logistic regression analysis, arthralgia, dizziness, fall efficacy, and fear of falling were identified as significant predictors of falls. Conclusion: It is important to identify the risk factors for falls among the elderly living in community. Fall prevention interventions should be multifactorial, especially for the elderly who were identified as the high risk group.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.341-351
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• 2013

Purpose: This study was done to analyze the effects of Tai Chi on fall-related risk factors through meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials published in English and Korean between 2000 and 2010. Methods: Using health related database and hand search of references and Google, 28 randomized studies were collected from doctoral dissertation and published peer reviewed articles. The Comprehensive Meta-analysis version 2.0 was used for the analysis. Results: The effect sizes for Tai Chi for 3 months were significant with ES=0.54 for static balance, ES=0.24 for dynamic balance, ES=0.69 for balance measured by scale, and ES=0.40 for flexibility, ES=0.48 for muscle strength, ES=0.71 for ADL, and ES=0.37 for fear of falling. Also, the effect sizes of Tai Chi for 6 months were significant for most fall-related variables. The 6 month data for flexibility was not analyzed since only one study was published. Conclusion: The analysis of studies of randomized clinical trials indicate that Tai Chi is effective in improving balance, flexibility, muscle strength, activities of daily living, and fear of falling when applied for 3 or 6 months. The findings provide the objective evidence to apply Tai Chi as a fall preventive intervention.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.43 no.5
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• pp.595-604
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify risk factors for pediatric inpatients falls. Methods: The study was a matched case-control design. The participants were 279 patients under the age of 6 who were admitted between January 1, 2004 and December 31, 2009. Through chart reviews, 93 pediatric patients who fell and 186 ones who did not fall were paired by gender, age, diagnosis, and length of stay. Five experts evaluated the 38 fall risk factors selected by the researchers. Results: In a general hospital, pediatric patients with secondary diagnosis, tests that need the patient to be moved, intravenous lines, hyperactivity, anxiolytics, sedatives and hypnotics, and general anesthetics showed significance for falls on adjusted-odds ratios. Conditional logistic regression analysis was performed to elucidate the factors that influence pediatric inpatient falls. The probability of falls increased with hyperactivity and general weakness. Patients who didn't have tests that required them to be moved and intravenous line had a higher risk of falls. Conclusion: These findings provide information that is relevant in developing fall risk assessment tools and prevention programs for pediatric inpatient falls.

• Journal of Korean Critical Care Nursing
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.57-70
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• 2019

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for falls in tertiary hospital inpatients and to suggest data for developing a nursing intervention program for preventing falls. Methods: Data were collected between January 1, 2017, to December 31, 2017. Kaplan-Meier estimation was used to measure the survival rate, and the log-rank test was used for the differences between the fall group and the non-fall group. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the risk factors for falls. Results: The incidence rate of falls for the inpatients was 1.2 cases per 1,000 days of hospitalization. The risk factors for falls were more likely to be found among those who were aged ${\geq}81$, had not undergone surgery, had poor joint motion, had unsteady gait, needed help or supervision, used assistive devices, had comorbidity, and took at least two drugs. Conclusion: For the inpatients, the risk factors for falls included age, surgery, comorbidity, medication that could change mobility, joint motion, and use of patient care equipment. It is necessary to give special attention to inpatients who have any of these risk factors and to develop a falls risk assessment tool.

• Research in Community and Public Health Nursing
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.141-149
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors of accidental falls by age in the Korean elderly. Methods: The study subjects included 10,242 community-dwelling elders aged 65 or over. The data were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. Results: The risk factors of accidental falls in the younger old group (aged 65~74) include fear of falling (OR=16.28, 95% CI: 12.03~22.03), depression (OR=1.24, 95% CI: 1.06~1.44), and hearing impairment (OR=1.20, 95% CI: 1.01~1.43). The risk factors of accidental falls in the older old group (aged 75~84) include fear of falling (OR=11.54, 95% CI: 7.04~18.93), muscle strength (OR=1.36, 95% CI: 1.15~1.60), number of chronic disease (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.09~2.50), and presence of spouse (OR=1.27, 95% CI: 1.06~1.51). The risk factors of accidental falls in the oldest old group (aged 85 years old or older) include fear of falling (OR=8.05, 95% CI: 1.85~34.98) and exercise (OR=2.91, 95% CI: 1.36~6.24). Fear of falling is defined as a common factor in the all age groups. Conclusion: Different strategies should be developed for age groups to prevent elderly falls with understanding of contributing factors of falls in each group.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.20 no.9
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• pp.167-174
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• 2019

The propose od this study was to examine the extent of using physical restraint on elderly patients (over 65 years old) and who were patients in long-term care hospitals. The data was collected, from March 3 2018 to March 29 2018, from the electronic nursing records by using a recording tool, and clinical observation was also used for assessing the use of physical restraint and the related factors. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients and logistic regression were then performed. The usage rate for physical restraints in long-term care hospital was 83.7%, and the most common type of physical restraint was side rails. The use of physical restraints showed a positive correlation with the fall risk scores and a negative correlation with the MMSE. Logistic regression analysis showed that the Fall Risk Score (OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.01~1.03), MMSE (OR=0.94, CI=0.88~0.99) and the use of medical devices (OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.65~0.98) were related with using physical restraints. Therefore, it was confirmed that physical restraint was used in cases of a high risk of falling, severe cognitive impairment and the use of complex and fragile medical devices to treat the patient. Clinical nursing practice should be changed so that treatment alternatives can be applied for elderly patients rather than using too many physical restraints.

• Journal of the Korean Applied Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.189-199
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• 2019

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of combine exercise on the fall injury related index and myokine in elderly women. Sarcopenia leads to a loss of strength, alter on to a decreased functional status, impaired mobility, a higher risk of falls, and eventually an increased risk of mortality. Aerobic exercise characterized by rhythmic and repetitive movements of large muscles, for sustained periods that depends primarily on the use of oxygen to meet energy demands through aerobic metabolism, and that is structured and intended to generate improvements in cardiopulmonary fitness, body composition, and cardiorespiratory health. Resistance training has performance in the elderly. As combined exercise therapy can be used to enhance muscle functions and cardiopulmonary functions, it is being highlighted as an effective health management methods for the aged. The myokine has been regarded an important factor of exercise how muscle communicate adipose tissue, bone and muscle to exert beneficial effects at the whole body level.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.244-252
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to develop a knowledge scale of risk factors for fall among community-dwelling older adults. Further, the validity and reliability of the scale was developed. Methods: A preliminary scale was developed through content validity by five experts and targeted subjects using the CVI (Content Validity Index). Following the establishment of content validity, the scale was used with 359 community-dwelling older adults to further establish both validity and reliability of the scale. Specifically, construct validity using known-group comparison technique, and reliability using Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ were established. Results: After content validity testing, 44 preliminary items were selected. Construct validity was established by known group-comparison, in which scores between the fall and no fall groups were compared. The Cronbach's ${\alpha}$ of the final scale was .83. Conclusion: Reliability and validity of the scale were confirmed. This tool may be used for measuring knowledge of fall risk factor for the community-dwelling older adults.

• Korean Journal of Adult Nursing
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.533-542
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• 2014

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the risk of falling associated with postmenopausal women and to identify the relationships between this risk and factors such as lifestyle, metabolic syndrome, and bone mineral density. Methods: The sample was 128 postmenopausal women between 50 and 65 from one menopausal clinic in an urban city. The Risk Assessment for Falls Scale II, developed by Glydenvand and Reinboth (1982) and adapted by Park Young-Hye (2003), was modified and used for this study. Results: The average fall-risk score in postmenopausal women was 7.2 out of 33, the fall-risk score associated with lifestyle was higher in women exposed to stress frequently or who favored spicy or salty foods. The fall-risk score associated with metabolic syndrome was higher in groups with HBP or with a waist circumference of 80cm or greater. The fall-risk score in groups with three or more factors of metabolic syndrome was the highest. Conclusion: The risk of fall in post-menopausal women was higher in groups with only elementary education, unemployed, reported two or more chronic diseases or reported frequent exposure to stress and for women who preferred spicy or salty foods or exhibited three or more factors of metabolic syndrome.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.47 no.3
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• pp.420-430
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• 2017

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of and risk factors for accidental inpatient falls. Methods: Participants were classified as fallers or non-fallers based on the fall history of inpatients in a tertiary hospital in Seoul between June 2014 and May 2015. Data on falls were obtained from the fall report forms and data on risk factors were obtained from the electronic nursing records. Characteristics of fallers and non-fallers were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Risk factors for falls were identified using univariate analyses and logistic regression analysis. Results: Average length of stay prior to the fall was 21.52 days and average age of fallers was 61.37 years. Most falls occurred during the night shifts and in the bedroom and were due to sudden leg weakness during ambulation. It was found that gender, BMI, physical problems such elimination, gait, vision and hearing and medications such as sleeping pills, antiarrhythmics, vasodilators, and muscle relaxant were statistically significant factors affecting falls. Conclusion: The findings show that there are significant risk factors such as BMI and history of surgery which are not part of fall assessment tools. There are also items on fall assessment tools which are not found to be significant such as mental status, emotional unstability, dizziness, and impairment of urination. Therefore, these various risk factors should be examined in the fall risk assessments and these risk factors should be considered in the development of fall assessment tools.