Social risk factors for falls among rural Nigerian community-dwelling older adults

Aim: Reports on social risk factors for falls are scarce. This study explored the associations of selected sociodemographic and health variables with falls among rural Nigerian community-dwelling older adults.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study involved 131 community-dwelling older adults (84 women and 47 men) recruited at an outreach center. Demographic (age, sex and marital status), social (frequency of visiting relations and friends, and number of consistent informal carers) and health (number of comorbid conditions) variables were recorded.

Results: Having fewer than two informal carers (0.26, 95% CI 0.10–0.68) was independently associated with reduced risk for falls. Visiting relations and friends less than twice per week was independently associated with greater risks for falls (3.85, 95% CI 1.42–10.46) and recurrent falls (4.86, 95% CI 1.25–18.85).

Conclusions: The number of informal carers and frequency of social visits are risk factors for falls in older adults, and need to be taken into consideration in any strategy for fall prevention in older adults.