Psychological risk factors associated with falls among elderly people in Baghdad city, Iraq

Mohammed A. Abdal Qader, Rahmah Mohd. Amin, Shamsul Azhar Shah, Zaleha Md. Isa, Khalib Abdul Latif, Hasanain Faisal Ghazi

Department of Community Health, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Department of Community Health, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;.
Medical and Health Science Faculty, Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (City Campus), Jalan Sultan Mahmud, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia.

DOI: 10.4236/ojpm.2013.37059                

Abstract

Background: Ageing of the population is one of the most important demographic facts that come to the foreground in the 21st century. Objective: To assess the relationship between psychological factors (depression, loneliness, using anti anxiety medication, fear from falls and internal displacement of the population) and falls among elderly people in Baghdad city, Iraq. Methods: A matched 1:1 community based case-control study involving 716 elderly respondents, recruited randomly from six Non Governmental Organization (NGO) in different areas of Baghdad. Interviews to each respondent were done accordingly. Geriatric depression scale (GDS) was used to assess the depression among the elderly people. Results: The minimum age for cases and controls was 60 years old while the maximum age for cases was 87 and for controls was 85 years old. The female was predominant than male, 53.6% to 46.4% respectively. The relation between depression, fear from fall, using anti anxiety medication, internal displacement and falls was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Psychological factor especially depression among elderly people is one of the important risk factors contributing to falls accident. Fear from falls, displacement and taking anti anxiety medication were also in significant relation.

 

Keywords

Falls; Elderly; Depression; Fear from Fall; Baghdad

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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