• Citer

Association entre multimorbidité, maladies chroniques et le risque de chutes chez les personnes âgées de 65 ans et plus en Belgique : Une analyse basée sur les données de l’enquête de santé de 2018

par Koudjou Sonegueng, Alice
Président du jury Donnen, Philippe
Promoteur Vanhoutte, Bram
Co-Promoteur Vos, Bénédicte
Publication Non publié, 2024-06-19

Mémoire

• Accès en ligne
• Détails
• Contenu
• Statistiques

Résumé :

Background: Accidental falls are one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality among the elderly, with serious consequences for their health and quality of life. This situation is exacerbated by the growing prevalence of chronic diseases. Multimorbidity, defined as the simultaneous presence of two or more of these chronic illnesses, is common in the elderly and could significantly increase the occurrence of falls. Objective: The aim of this research was to examine the association between chronic diseases and the risk of falls among people aged 65 years and over in Belgium, and to identify the combinations of chronic diseases presenting a high risk of falls.Methods: An analysis was conducted using data from the 2018 Belgian Health Survey. The sample included 2219 people aged 65 years and over. Chronic diseases studied included osteoarthritis, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, hypertension and Parkinson's disease. Fall risk was determined by participants' self-report of falls during the previous 12 months. Statistical analyses included logistic regressions to estimate associations between chronic diseases, multimorbidity and falls risk.Results: 16% of people reported having a fall in the past 12 months. A significant association was observed between osteoarthritis (OR=1.6), cancer (OR=2.6), diabetes (OR=1.9), hypertension (OR=1.5), osteoporosis (OR=2.1) and the occurrence of falls. In addition, multimorbidity was associated with an increased risk of falls, with combinations such as osteoporosis and Parkinson's disease (OR=18.9), diabetes and Parkinson's disease (OR=9.3), as well as diabetes and osteoporosis (OR=7.4), presenting particularly high risks.Conclusion: Although this research is descriptive in nature, the data obtained provide a starting point for future research. They also provide a solid foundation for a better understanding of the risk factors for falls, which will enable the development of more comprehensive and tailored prevention approaches.