Prevalence and Risk Factors for Falls Among Community-Dwelling Adults in Saudi Arabia

AbstractBackground:This study examined the prevalence and risk factors of falls, by evaluating the association between risk factors and falls and number of falls, and by determining cut-off scores for fall risk measures among community-dwelling adults in Saudi Arabia.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted in community, Riyadh city, Saudi Arabia. A sample of 276 Saudi citizens aged ³ 40 years who were able to read and write in Arabic. Fall history and number of falls in the past 12 months were determined via self-reports. Variables assessed included demographic information, self-reported chronic diseases, depressive symptoms, and back pain severity.Results:Participants were classified as either fallers (n=28, 10.14%) or non-fallers. Fallers were more likely to have arthritis (odds ratio [OR]: 7.60, p=0.001), back pain (OR: 5.22, p=0.002), and higher depressive symptom scores (OR: 1.09, p=0.013) than non-fallers. The number of reported falls was significantly associated with an elevated body mass index (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 1.09, p=0.045), arthritis (IRR: 8.74, p<0.001), back pain (IRR: 4.08, p=0.005), neurological diseases (IRR: 13.75, p<0.007), and depressive symptoms (IRR: 1.08, p=0.005). Cut-off scores predictive of falls associated with back pain and depressive symptoms were 1.5 (sensitivity: 0.61; specificity: 0.79; area under the curve [AUC]: 0.70) and 11.5 score (sensitivity: 0.57; specificity: 0.76; AUC: 0.66), respectively.Conclusions: The prevalence of falls was relatively low among the individuals considered in this study. Chronic conditions, back pain severity, and depressive symptoms were determined to be associated with falls among community-dwelling individuals in Saudi Arabia.