• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.444-452
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• 2012

Purpose: To explore the usefulness of previous fall history as a triage variable for inpatients. Methods: Medical records of 21,382 patients, admitted to medical units of one tertiary hospital, were analyzed retrospectively. Inpatient falls were identified from the hospital's self-report system. Non-falls in 1,125 patients were selected by a stratified matching sampling with 125 patients with falls (0.59%). A comparative and predictive accuracy analysis was conducted to describe differences between the two groups with and without a history of falls. Logistic regression was used to measure the effect size of the fall history. Results: The fall history group showed higher prevalence by 9 fold than the non-fall history group. The relationships between falls and relevant variables which were significant in the non-fall history group, were not significant for the fall history group. Falls in the fall history group were 25 times more likely than in the non-fall group. Predictive accuracy of the risk assessment tool showed almost zero specificity in the fall history group. Conclusion: The presence of fall history, the fall prevalence, variables relevant to falls, and the accuracy of the risk tool were different, which support the usefulness of the fall history as a triage variable.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.10 no.1
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• pp.1-13
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• 2003

The purpose of the study was to determine if there was a difference in the Functional Ambulation Performance score of senior adults with or without a history of falls during walking at a preferred velocity. Twelve subjects with a history of falling (mean age=73.8) and eight subjects with no history of falling (mean age=70.4) participated in the study. Temporal and spatial parameters of gait were analyzed using the computerized GAITRite system. The GAITRite system integrates specific components of locomotion to provide a single, numerical representation of gait, the Functional Ambulation Performance score. The Functional Ambulation Performance score is a Quantitative means of assessing gait based on specific temporal and spatial parameters. Statistical analysis of the two groups demonstrated a significant decrease in Functional Ambulation Performance score for those with a history of falls. They had lower values for step/extremity ratios, mean normalized velocity, and greater values for step times, percent in double support. These results indicate that the GAITRite system can be useful in detecting footfall patterns and selected time and distance measurements of persons with a history of falls and the Functional Ambulation Performance score can be used as indicators of gait performance for senior adults with a history of falls.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.51-60
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• 2004

Falls are common, costly, and a leading cause of death among older adults. The major predisposing factors of a fall may include age-related deterioration in the dynamic system composed of auditory, somatosensory, vestibular, visual, musculoskeletal, and neuromuscular subsystems. Older adults with a history of frequent falls demonstrated significant reductions in gait velocity, muscle force production, and balance performance. These altered neuromechanical characteristics may be further exaggerated when faced with conflicting multisensory conditions. Despite the important contribution of multisensory function on the sensorimotor system during postural and locomotor tasks, it remains unclear whether multisensory intervention will produce dynamic balance improvement during locomotion in older adults with a history of frequent falls. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to address important factors associated with falls in elderly adults and provide theoretical rationale for a multisensory intervention program model.

• Women's Health Nursing
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.237-247
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• 2012

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of osteoporosis and falls and their consequences, and to identify predictors of fracture risk in the postmenopausal women. Methods: A total of 687 postmenopausal women were recruited through a stratified convenience sampling. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain osteoporosis and fall history and details of their most recent fall. To predict fracture risk factors, we collected demographic and physical health variables related osteoporosis and fall. Fracture risk was measured by FRAX$^{(R)}$ to calculate 10-year probability of major osteoporotic and hip fracture. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis was 22.1%, and 66.4% of them had treatments for osteoporosis. The incidence of falls during the past year was 19.2% and 38.6% of those who fell suffered consequent fractures. Women with history of osteoporosis and falls were significant predictors of 10-year probability of major osteoporotic and hip fracture. Other significant predictors were history of fracture, chronic disease, surgical menopause, lower BMI, poorer perceived health and no job. Conclusion: It appears that history of osteoporosis and falls are main predictors of fracture risk. Nursing assessment should be performed by detail history taking for osteoporosis, fall, chronic disease, and fracture to screen fracture risk group among postmenopausal women.

• 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.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.26 no.1
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• pp.1-11
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• 2019

Purpose: The goal was to use electronic health records to identify factors and outcomes associated with falls among patients admitted to hematology units. Methods: This retrospective case-control study included data from a tertiary university hospital. Analysis was done of records from 117 patients with a history of falls and 201 patients with no history of falls who were admitted to the hematology unit from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2014. Risk factors were analyzed using hierarchical logistic regression; patient outcomes were analyzed using multiple logistic regression, Cox proportional hazards regression, and multiple linear regression. Results: Clinical factors such as self-care nursing (OR=4.47, CI=1.64~12.11), leukopenia (OR=6.03; CI=2.51~14.50), and hypoalbuminemia (OR=2.79, CI=1.31~5.96); treatment factors such as use of narcotics (OR=2.06, CI=1.01~4.19), antipsychotics (OR=3.05, CI=1.20~7.75), and steroids (OR=4.51, CI=1.92~10.58); and patient factors such as low education (OR=3.16, CI=1.44~6.94) were significant risk factors. Falls were also associated with increased length of hospital stay to 21.58 days (p<.001), and healthcare costs of 17,052,784 Won (p<.001). Conclusion: These findings can be a resource for fall prevention education and to help develop fall risk assessment tools for adults admitted to hematology units.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Fundamentals of Nursing
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.200-207
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• 2006

Purpose: This study was done to identify factors influencing falls in inpatients. A comprehensive analysis of individual, disease, and environment related factors and an assessment of being in a risk factor group were included in the data. Method: The medical records of 325 inpatients were reviewed. Data were collected from January to July 2003. Frequencies, 1-test and $X^2-test$ were used to analyze the data and the SPSS program was used. Results: Individual-related factors for inpatients falls were age, drinking and weakness. Disease-related factors for inpatients falls were diagnostic department, admission from ER or OPD, admission by wheelchair or orther method and activity status. Environment-related factors for inpatient falls were re-education and side-rails. Assessment of the risk factor group related factors were age, history of falls, body balance, depression, communication, medication, chronic disease, urinary condition and total score for risk factors. Conclusion: Experienceing a fall among Korean inpatients was associated not only with individual factors, but also with disease and environmental factors. The findings of this study suggest that broad intervention programs should be provided to prevent inpatient falls.

• Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing
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• v.38 no.5
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• pp.676-684
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• 2008

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors for falls and to suggest data for developing a program for preventing falls. Methods: This was a case-control study in five university hospitals and a general hospital. In total, 216 patients over the age of 18 yr admitted from January 1 to December 31, 2007 participated. One hundred eight patients with experience of falling were matched by gender, age level, diagnosis, and length of stay with 108 patents with no experience of falling admitted on the same unit. A quality assurance coordinator nurse in each hospital examined 35 fall risk factors developed by researchers. Results: In acute hospitals, history of falls, orientation ability, dizziness or vertigo, general weakness, urination problems, transfer/mobility difficulty, walking dependency, impatience, benzodiazepines, diuretics, and vasodilators showed significance on adjusted-odds ratios for fall. Logistic regression analysis was performed to elucidate the factors that influence falls. The probability of falls was increased by dizziness/vertigo, general weakness, and impatience/agitation. Conclusion: This finding can be used as a useful resource in developing nursing intervention programs to predict and prevent the falls of inpatients.

• Journal of Korean Clinical Nursing Research
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.189-197
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• 2019

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of symptom experience and depression on the falls efficacy of elderly patients who were undergoing chemotherapy. Methods: The questionnaires were administered to 105 elderly patients over 65 years hospitalizing for chemotherapy from October 25 to December 30, 2018. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, $Scheff{\acute{e}}$ test, Pearson's correlations and Multiple Linear Regression, ursing an SPSS/WIN 22.0 program. Results: Falls efficacy was negatively correlated with the symptom experience (r=-.58, p<.001), and depression (r=-.57, p<.001). Symptom experience and depression were positively correlated (r=.72, p<.001). The significantly influential factors of falls efficacy were age (${\beta}=-.34$, p<.001), symptom experience (${\beta}=-.24$, p=.022), and the history of falls (${\beta}=-.15$, p=.040), explaining 57.0% of the variance in falls efficacy. Conclusion: The main findings of this study can be used as the foundation for developing programs to increase the falls efficacy of elderly patients undergoing chemotherapy.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.11-20
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• 1990

Recorded injury identified the role of falls in producing injury througout all segments of the nation. The Economic and social costs arising from falls has been established in numerous sources, both nationally and from the intermational literature. Recorded injury also indicated the potential features of falls, the need for a basic understanding of the energy exchange mechanism involved and the subsequent rehabilitation processes required. It appears unlikely that any other major cause of injury has an etiology so little researched and consequently, so little understood, which in turn has prevented the development of an intervention strategy or a scientically based control technology of falls. This paper will emphasize how the postural changes of foot are related to slip/fall severity in different environmental conditions. Lidewise, we will examine the whole slip/fall cycle through the biomechanical parameters involved in a range of walking speed and floor slipperiness