Prevalence and Risk Factors of Recurrent Falls in Older People Post-Hip Fracture Surgery After Discharge: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Recurrent falls and fall-related injuries are common in older adults after a hip fracture. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors associated with recurrent falls in older people following hip fracture surgery after their discharge from the hospital. With purposive sampling, the participants were 180 older adults who underwent hip fracture surgery six months prior and visited orthopedic outpatient services at three tertiary care hospitals in Bangkok from July 2023 to May 2024. Data collection utilized standard assessments, including the Personal Health Information Questionnaire, the 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test, the Hip Dysfunction and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score for Joint Replacement, the Falls Efficacy Scale International, the Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, and the St Thomas’s Risk Assessment Tool in Falling Elderly Inpatients. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression, with a significant level set at 0.05. The results indicated that the prevalence of recurrent falls among older people who underwent hip fracture surgery was 27.8% within the first six months after being discharged from the hospital. Participants identified as high risk for falls had a risk of recurrent falls that was 4.74 times greater than those classified as low risk. Additionally, participants taking medications related to falls had a 2.71 times higher risk of experiencing recurrent falls compared to those who were not on such medications. Findings from this study suggest that health professionals, particularly gerontological nurse practitioners, should emphasize the importance of assessing fall risks and the potential side effects of medications that could lead to falls before discharging patients from the hospital.