Display options
Cite
Akahane M, Maeyashiki A, Yoshihara S, et al. Relationship Between Difficulties in Daily Activities and Falling: Loco-Check as a Self-Assessment of Fall Risk. Interact J Med Res. 2016;5(2):e20doi: 10.2196/ijmr.5590.
Akahane, M., Maeyashiki, A., Yoshihara, S., Tanaka, Y., & Imamura, T. (2016). Relationship Between Difficulties in Daily Activities and Falling: Loco-Check as a Self-Assessment of Fall Risk. Interactive journal of medical research, 5(2), e20. https://doi.org/10.2196/ijmr.5590
Akahane, Manabu, et al. "Relationship Between Difficulties in Daily Activities and Falling: Loco-Check as a Self-Assessment of Fall Risk." Interactive journal of medical research vol. 5,2 (2016): e20. doi: https://doi.org/10.2196/ijmr.5590
Akahane M, Maeyashiki A, Yoshihara S, Tanaka Y, Imamura T. Relationship Between Difficulties in Daily Activities and Falling: Loco-Check as a Self-Assessment of Fall Risk. Interact J Med Res. 2016 Jun 20;5(2):e20. doi: 10.2196/ijmr.5590. PMID: 27323871; PMCID: PMC4932242.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Interact J Med Res. 2016 Jun 20;5(2):e20. doi: 10.2196/ijmr.5590.

Relationship Between Difficulties in Daily Activities and Falling: Loco-Check as a Self-Assessment of Fall Risk.

Interactive journal of medical research

Manabu Akahane, Akie Maeyashiki, Shingo Yoshihara, Yasuhito Tanaka, Tomoaki Imamura

Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Medicine, Department of Public Health, Health Management and Policy, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan. [email protected].

PMID: 27323871 PMCID: PMC4932242 DOI: 10.2196/ijmr.5590

Abstract

BACKGROUND: People aged 65 years or older accounted for 25.1% of the Japanese population in 2013, and this characterizes the country as a "super-aging society." With increased aging, fall-related injuries are becoming important in Japan, because such injuries underlie the necessity for nursing care services. If people could evaluate their risk of falling using a simple self-check test, they would be able to take preventive measures such as exercise, muscle training, walking with a cane, or renovation of their surroundings to remove impediments. Loco-check is a checklist measure of early locomotive syndrome (circumstances in which elderly people need nursing care service or are at high risk of requiring the service within a short time), prepared by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) in 2007, but it is unclear if there is any association between this measure and falls.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between falls during the previous year and the 7 "loco-check" daily activity items and the total number of items endorsed, and sleep duration.

METHODS: We conducted an Internet panel survey. Subjects were 624 persons aged between 30 and 90 years. The general health condition of the participants, including their experience of falling, daily activities, and sleep duration, was investigated. A multivariate analysis was carried out using logistic regression to investigate the relationship between falls in the previous year and difficulties with specific daily activities and total number of difficulties (loco-check) endorsed, and sleep duration, adjusting for sex and age.

RESULTS: One-fourth of participants (157 persons) experienced at least one fall during the previous year. Fall rate of females (94/312: 30.1%) was significantly higher than that of males (63/312: 20.2%). Fall rate of persons aged more than 65 years (80/242: 33.1%) was significantly higher than that of younger persons (77/382: 20.2%). Logistic regression analysis revealed that daily activities such as "impossibility of getting across the road at a crossing before the traffic light changes" are significantly related to falling. Logistic regression analysis also demonstrated a relationship between the number of items endorsed on loco-check and incidence of falling, wherein persons who endorsed 4 or more items appear to be at higher risk for falls. However, logistic regression found no significant relationship between sleep duration and falling.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated a relationship between the number of loco-check items endorsed and the incidence of falling in the previous year. Endorsement of 4 or more items appeared to signal a high risk for falls. The short self-administered checklist can be a valuable tool for assessing the risk of falling and for initiating preventive measures.

Keywords: accidental falls; activity of daily living; disability evaluation; self-assessment

References

  1. BMC Emerg Med. 2009 Sep 28;9:19 - PubMed
  2. Technol Health Care. 2013;21(5):521-33 - PubMed
  3. J Sleep Res. 2011 Mar;20(1 Pt 1):21-7 - PubMed
  4. J Clin Rheumatol. 2002 Jun;8(3):166-73 - PubMed
  5. Geriatr Nurs. 2012 Jan-Feb;33(1):9-16 - PubMed
  6. Age Ageing. 2006 Sep;35 Suppl 2:ii37-ii41 - PubMed
  7. J Orthop Sci. 2012 Mar;17(2):163-72 - PubMed
  8. J Aging Phys Act. 2011 Jan;19(1):16-29 - PubMed
  9. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014 Feb;62(2):299-305 - PubMed
  10. J Orthop Sci. 2011 Sep;16(5):489-91 - PubMed
  11. J Med Internet Res. 2011 Sep 23;13(3):e66 - PubMed
  12. Arch Intern Med. 2008 Sep 8;168(16):1768-75 - PubMed
  13. J Med Internet Res. 2014 May 23;16(5):e135 - PubMed
  14. Interact J Med Res. 2013 Jan 18;2(1):e2 - PubMed
  15. J Med Internet Res. 2015 Feb 18;17(2):e41 - PubMed
  16. Int Nurs Rev. 2014 Dec;61(4):525-33 - PubMed
  17. J Orthop Sci. 2013 Jan;18(1):121-9 - PubMed
  18. J Clin Nurs. 2007 Mar;16(3):495-501 - PubMed
  19. J Orthop Sci. 2014 Sep;19(5):786-91 - PubMed
  20. BMC Geriatr. 2013 Aug 07;13:81 - PubMed
  21. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010 Feb;65(2):190-6 - PubMed
  22. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2013 May;10(2):91-5 - PubMed
  23. Mod Rheumatol. 2013 Sep;23(5):939-44 - PubMed
  24. Bone. 2013 Jan;52(1):516-23 - PubMed
  25. Indian J Med Res. 2010 Feb;131:302-10 - PubMed
  26. J Am Med Dir Assoc. 2011 Jul;12(6):410-25 - PubMed
  27. Prev Med. 2001 Aug;33(2 Pt 1):115-9 - PubMed
  28. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012 Dec 12;12:CD005465 - PubMed
  29. J Orthop Sci. 2008 Jan;13(1):1-2 - PubMed
  30. Bone. 1996 Jan;18(1 Suppl):77S-86S - PubMed
  31. J Orthop Sci. 2012 May;17(3):261-71 - PubMed

Publication Types