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Risk factors associated with falls and injuries among elderly institutionalized persons
Myers AH, Baker SP, Van Natta ML, Abbey H, Robinson EG.. American journal of epidemiology, 1991-06-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
A case-control study among 184 matched pairs of patients 65 years of age and older was undertaken to identify risk factors associated with falls and injuries in a long-term care facility in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1984-1985. Patients were matched on length of stay. Variables of interest included sociodemography, functional status, medications, and diagnoses. For all levels of care combined, the following factors were associated (p less than or equal to 0.01) with increased falls: being able to walk (relative odds (RO) = 4.0), age 90 years and older (RO = 3.8), a history of falling (RO = 5.0), and taking a vasodilator (RO = 3.0). Among the 184 fallers, the diagnosis of dementia (RO = 7.5) or taking a diuretic (RO = 7.2) was positively associated with injury (p less than or equal to 0.01). In each of the analyses, medications were associated with falls or injuries, suggesting a feasible intervention. The combination of a history of falling, being able to walk, and being 90 years of age or older increased the relative odds to 51.9 and could alert clinicians to identify and monitor high-risk elderly persons in need of preventive measures.
Key findings
- A case-control study among 184 matched pairs of patients 65 years of age and older was undertaken to identify risk factors associated with falls and injuries in a long-term care facility in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1984-1985.
- Among the 184 fallers, the diagnosis of dementia (RO = 7.5) or taking a diuretic (RO = 7.2) was positively associated with injury (p less than or equal to 0.01).
- In each of the analyses, medications were associated with falls or injuries, suggesting a feasible intervention.
Study details
- Study designcase-control study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 50/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a case-control study. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 29 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 50 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (American journal of epidemiology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 6 / 12 | A case-control study |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 1991 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 1903589) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 29 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 29 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 50 out of 100. |
| Total | 50 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Myers, A. H., Baker, S. P., Van Natta, M. L., Abbey, H., & Robinson, E. G. (1991). Risk factors associated with falls and injuries among elderly institutionalized persons. American journal of epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115830
Vancouver
Myers AH, Baker SP, Van Natta ML, Abbey H, Robinson EG. Risk factors associated with falls and injuries among elderly institutionalized persons. American journal of epidemiology. 1991. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115830. PMID: 1903589.
BibTeX
@article{myers1991-1903589,
author = {Myers, A. H. and Baker, S. P. and Van Natta, M. L. and Abbey, H. and Robinson, E. G.},
title = {{Risk factors associated with falls and injuries among elderly institutionalized persons}},
journal = {American journal of epidemiology},
year = {1991},
doi = {10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115830},
pmid = {1903589},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.aje.a115830}
}
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