Influencing factors of falls among older adults in Chinese retirement institutions: A systematic review and meta-analysis

by Xiaoxing Huang, Yunlan Jiang, Yaxin Liu, Liyin Shen, Jing Pan, Yue Zhang

Background

The incidence of falling has always been high among the elderly, and it was easy to cause injuries to the elderly and seriously affect their quality of life. There were many studies have been conducted on risk factors affecting the fall of the elderly, but the results widely, retirement institutions as a gathering place for the elderly, there was currently no comprehensive analysis of the factors related to elderly falls in pension institutions. This study aimed to explore the influencing factors of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes.

Methods

Chinese and English databases were searched for literature published from database inception to 5 April 2023 on the influencing factors of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes. Two reviewers independently screened articles, extracted data, and assessed the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.4 software.

Results

Eleven studies involving 3503 participants were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled estimate of falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes was 32% [95% confidence interval (95%CI) (24.0%, 39.0%)]. The main influencing factors for falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes were age (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.53), gender (OR = 5.50), visual impairment (OR = 2.30), sedative-hypnotics (OR = 2.36), fear of falling (OR = 2.95), hypertension (OR = 3.72), static balance (OR = 2.02), three or more chronic diseases (OR = 5.63), cognitive status (OR = 2.64), walking aid use (OR = 1.98), fall-related chronic diseases (OR = 2.48), self-awareness of abilities (OR = 2.43), and frequent reminders for fall prevention (OR = 0.10).

Conclusion

Falls among older adults in Chinese nursing homes were common, and there were many influencing factors. Timely screening and intervention should be implemented to reduce the adverse consequences of falls on older adults.

Trial registration

Registration number: CRD42023421099.