Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ANA PRICILA TEIXEIRA SOARES

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANA PRICILA TEIXEIRA SOARES
DATE: 06/11/2025
TIME: 16:30
LOCAL: Remoto
TITLE:

EXPLORING FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FALLS AND FALL RISK: A CONVERGENCE ANALYSIS AMONG OLDER ADULTS FROM THE PRO-EVA STUDY

 

KEY WORDS:

Aging, Falls, Fall risk.

PAGES: 60
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
SUMMARY:

ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: In the context of population aging, falls and their
consequences have emerged as a major public health issue. Several
factors may contribute to their occurrence, and the systematic
assessment of these factors in Primary Health Care (PHC) is essential
for fall prevention and for planning care for the older population.
Although studies addressing fall risk factors are available in the
literature, comprehensive analyses comparing factors associated with
both falls and fall risk remain scarce, particularly those considering the
interaction and convergence among multiple variables.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the factors associated with falls and fall risk
among older adults participating in the Pro-Eva Study, using a
convergence analysis approach to compare and identify patterns of
variables associated with each or both outcomes.
METHODS: This was an analytical, cross-sectional observational study
including 1,164 older adults aged 60 years and over, of both sexes,
residing in the municipality of Parnamirim, Brazil. Data were collected
using a standardized protocol that included sociodemographic
variables, health conditions, polypharmacy, emotional and cognitive
status, lifestyle habits, calf circumference, and fall occurrence (as
recorded in the Older Adult Health Booklet). Fall risk was assessed
using the FRRISque Tool. Additionally, physical performance was
evaluated through the Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB),
sarcopenia was identified according to the updated EWGSOP2
diagnostic criteria, and frailty was assessed based on the Fried Frailty
Phenotype. Data analysis included the Student’s t-test and chi-square
test, followed by binary logistic regression to determine the strength of
associations.
RESULTS: The sample consisted of 1,164 older adults with a mean age
of 70.2 years (±7.07), mostly female (63.3%). Regarding
sociodemographic data, 52.9% reported living with a partner, and 17.9%
had some form of disability. Concerning lifestyle, 56.8% did not engage
in physical activity, 58.7% were hypertensive, and 30% diabetic. Overall,
39.0% reported at least one fall in the previous year, and more than half
(66.5%) presented a high risk of falling. The proportion of falls was
higher among women (43.8%, p<0.001), those not living with a partner
(42.2%, p=0.017), and those using polypharmacy (50.5%, p<0.001). A
higher fall risk was also observed among women (71.5%; p<0.001), older
adults not living with a partner (70.1%; p=0.003), and those with
disabilities (76.0%; p=0.001).
CONCLUSION: Based on the results obtained so far, variables
associated with the occurrence of falls were more restricted and linked
to objective and measurable aspects, particularly sex, frailty, and
polypharmacy. In contrast, a broader set of variables remained
associated with fall risk, suggesting that the perceived risk of falling
involves a more complex interaction of physical, emotional, and
experiential factors, reflected in a more diverse range of predictors.

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Presidente - 1460020 - ALVARO CAMPOS CAVALCANTI MACIEL
Externo ao Programa - 1674532 - DIMITRI TAURINO GUEDES - nullInterna - 4374835 - KARYNA MYRELLY OLIVEIRA BEZERRA DE FIGUEIREDO RIBEIRO