Perception of elderly people on their risk of falls and associated factors

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the prevalence of elderly people’s perception of their risk of falls and the associated factors. Method: This is an analytical study carried out with 190 elderly people participating in an active aging program. Data were collected through interviews using questionnaires and scales. The perception of risk was evaluated through an instrument elaborated with the technique of vignette. Bivariate statistical analysis and multiple logistic regression of the data were performed. Results: The results showed that 63.7% of the elderly had a low perception of risk of falling. Factors associated to the perception of the elderly on their risk of ffalls were difficulty in mobility (p=0.018) and concern about falling (p = 0.002). Conclusion: It is concluded that there is a high prevalence of low risk of falls in the investigated population and the associated factors probably point to the fact that most of the elderly are younger, have good health, have a few fallshistory, considering themselves in good condition of aging and interact with other people in social groups.