Presentation: UND, NDSU, & ND-ACES bio and biomedical computation networking seminar
November 20, 2024, Alerus Center, Grand Forks, North Dakota
Analyzing Elderly Falls Risk Factors, with a Focus on Polypharmacy
Christianah
Jemiyo
Postdoc
University of North Dakota
Co-authors: Zahra, Afghah, UND; Denny, Dawn, Associate Professor, UND; Lindseth, Glenda, UND; Donald, Jurivich, Professor, UND; Michael, Johnson, Aspire Clinical Intelligence; Junguk, Hur, Associate Professor, UND
Session
Poster Presentation
The study investigated factors contributing to falls among older adults in a nursing care facility across four time periods, centered around June 23, 2023. Two analyses were conducted: falls in the preceding and following 3 and 6 months. The aim was to identify variables influencing falls, including demographics, medication count, SLUMS score, and health status. Methods involved categorizing falls into fallers and non-fallers, followed by statistical analyses such as chi-square tests, ANOVA, correlation, univariate ordinal logistic regression, and multivariate logistic regression to explore associations. Results from 3,798 participants showed significant associations between falls and various factors. No gender-based differences were found in falls, while age-based differences were absent. Correlation analysis revealed relationships between weight, number of medications, and falls. Falls within the last 3 and 6 months were associated with product line, polypharmacy, and age, with antidepressant usage also impacting falls in the last 6 months. Falls in the next 3 and 6 months were associated with product line, SLUMS score, age, and antidepressant use. The study underscores the importance of some factors in predicting falls among elderly.