Longevity and trauma from falls

• Autor(a) principal: Oliveira , Sandra Márcia Carvalho de
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Lucena , Glauber Alves, de Oliveira , Maria Aparecida Buzinari, Neves , Sebastião Afonso Viana Macedo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Debates em Psiquiatria (Online)
• Texto Completo: https://revistardp.org.br/revista/article/view/296
• topic: Longevidade; envelhecimento; trauma por quedas; Longevity; aging; trauma from falls

Objective: Trauma is currently the fifth cause of death in the elderly population. Falls are considered the second most common cause of death by accidental or intentional injuries worldwide, exceeded only by traffic accidents. This study aimed to determine the frequency of falls and to analyze the main reasons for this event among people aged above 60 years and enrolled in the health module of the Mocinha Magalhães district. Methods: This was a quantitative, descriptive, crosssectional survey involving a sample of 100 elderly people. Statistical analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 20.0, and the chi-square test. Results: The frequency of falls in the past year was 21%; eight individuals reported hospitalization due to falls, and three suffered fractures. Also, 54% of the respondents were female. All factors associated with falls, e.g., Parkinson’s disease and the use of medications on the day of the fall, showed statistical significance (p< 0.05). Conclusion: This study allowed to identify the occurrence of falls in this population and to draw attention to the development of activities that may stimulate motor and cognitive activity in the elderly, in order to minimize the risk of falls.