| dc.description.abstract | This study aimed to examine differences in the frequency of falls during the past year and fall risk
among 392 elderly females was categorized into five groups on the basis of the knee pain experienced:
no knee pain, mild unilateral knee pain, mild bilateral knee pain, severe unilateral knee
pain, and severe bilateral knee pain. The subjects participated in a fall risk survey comprising 50
items representing five risk factors: “symptoms of falling”, “disease and physical symptoms”, “environment”,
“behavior and character”, and “physical function”. The frequency of falls during the
past year, score for each risk factor, and the total fall risk score were not significantly different
between the mild unilateral and mild bilateral knee pain groups, and between the severe unilateral
and severe bilateral knee pain groups. Therefore, these groups were pooled to form a mild
knee pain group and a severe knee pain group and analyzed. The severe knee pain group had
experienced a significantly greater number of falls during the past year compared with the no
knee pain group. Furthermore, the symptom of falling score was significantly higher in the severe
knee pain group than in the no knee pain group, while the disease and physical symptoms
score was significantly higher in the mild and severe knee pain groups than in the no knee pain
group. The physical function score and total fall risk score were significantly higher in the following
order: the severe knee pain group, the mild knee pain group, and the no knee pain group. Our
results indicate that for elderly females who can achieve ADL independently, the degree of knee
pain (mild or severe) has a marked effect on fall risk, irrespective of laterality of the pain (unilateral
or bilateral). Factors such as symptoms of falling, disease and physical symptoms, and physical
function are also related to fall risk in this population. Furthermore, elderly individuals with
severe knee pain experience frequent falls. | en_US |
