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Table 2 Activity at the time of the fall in relation to health characteristics of 125 interviewed participants

From: The fall descriptions and health characteristics of older adults with hip fracture: a mixed methods study

Health characteristic

Positional change

Standing

Walking

Balance challenging

Total

P for difference between groups

n = 24

n = 16

n = 71

n = 14

n = 125

Age, years (mean(SD))

81.4 (10.3)

78.7 (9.3)

79.4 (8.7)

76.7 (9.1)

79.1(9.4)

0.894

Gender (female)

16 (66.7)

11 (68.7)

52 (73.3)

10 (71.4)

89 (71.2)

0.919

BMI (n = 109)

     

0.466

Underweight

3 (16.7)

1 (7.1)

8 (12.7)

1 (7.1)

13 (11.9)

 

Normal weight

7 (38.9)

11 (78.6)

33 (52.4)

9 (64.3)

60 (55.1)

 

Overweight/Obese

8 (44.4)

2 (14.3)

22 (34.9)

4 (28.6)

36 (33.0)

 

Mobility 1

     

<0.001

Low2

15 (62.5)

3 (18.8)

17 (23.9)

1 (7.4)

36 (28.8)

 

Moderate3

6 (25.0)

7 (43.7)

16 (22.5)

2 (14.3)

31 (24.8)

 

High4

3 (12.5)

6 (37.5)

38 (53.5)

11 (78.6)

58 (46.4)

 

P-ADL Participation 1

      

Dependent in ≥1 act. of personal care

7 (29.2)

0

6 (8.5)

0

13 (10.0)

0.012

Balance 1

      

Self-rated balance (bad), (n = 114)

16 (69.6)

9 (56.3)

28 (45.2)

6 (46.2)

59 (51.7)

0.232

Fear of falling (yes), (n = 122)

10 (41.7)

5 (31.3)

19 (27.9)

2 (14.3)

36 (29.5)

0.363

Previous falls

      

≥1 fall previous year, (n = 122)

14 (58.3)

6 (40.0)

33 (47.8)

7 (50.0)

60 (49.2)

0.725

Physical activity1 (n = 118)

     

0.085

Sedentary

9 (37.5)

1 (6.3)

11 (15.5)

1 (7.4)

22 (17.6)

 

Light exercise

13 (54.2)

12 (75.0)

56 (78.9)

12 (85.7)

93 (74.4)

 

Hard exercise

0

1 (6.3)

2 (2.8)

0

3 (2.4)

 

Post fracture grip strength (n = 107)

     

0.202

Normal (≥10th percentile)

10 (45.5)

4 (30.8)

39 (65.0)

7 (58.3)

60 (56.1)

 

Low (5th-10th percentile)

7 (31.8)

3 (23.1)

10 (16.7)

3 (25.0)

23 (21.5)

 

Abnormally low (<5th percentile)

5 (22.7)

6 (46.2)

11 (18.3)

2 (16.7)

24 (22.4)

 

Number of chronic diseases 5

     

0.719

0

12 (50.0)

10 (62.5)

35 (49.3)

10 (71.4)

67 (53.6)

 

1

7 (29.2)

5 (31.3)

26 (36.6)

3 (21.4)

41 (32.8)

 

≥2

5 (20.8)

1 (6.3)

10 (14.1)

1 (7.1)

17 (13.6)

 

Fall-risk-increasing drugs (FRIDs)

     

0.946

0 FRIDS

4 (16.7)

4 (25.0)

13 (18.3)

3 (21.4)

24 (19.2)

 

Cardiovascular (Cvd) FRIDs

10 (41.7)

4 (25.0)

29 (40.8)

5 (35.7)

48 (38.4)

 

Psychotropic (Psy) FRIDs

2 (8.3)

3 (18.8)

6 (8.4)

2 (14.3)

13 (10.4)

 

Concomitant Cvd & Psy FRIDs

8 (33.3)

5 (31.3)

23 (32.4)

4 (28.6)

40 (32.0)

 
  1. Unit are expressed as number (percentage) unless otherwise stated.
  2. 1Reported performance of pre-fracture status 2Required a walking aid indoors. 3Required a walking aid outdoors. 4No walking aid required. 5According to Charlson’s comorbidity index.
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BMC Geriatrics

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